Negaverse Chronicles 2:  Three Years
by ahilty
Summary: Three years before Darkwing.  Three years of destruction, war, and apocalypse.  Three years for Negaduck to rise to rule all.  How will the Friendly Four survive to be there for Darkwing?  The next three years shall be their first of many challenges.
1. Trust

An Author's Note: And, here we are. My new project. Hope I can actually finish this one…ah well. This is the promised sequel to the first Negaverse Chronicles….but you probably knew that.

As you should guess by now, I own nothing save my original characters. If you recognize it, it is not mine, so give credit where it is really due (which is mostly to Disney).

And yes, I'm going to be somewhat following

Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Trust

St. Canard, the Negaverse…

A dark universe, so different from the one inhabited by a certain masked mallard of justice, yet in many ways similar as well. For everything there was a mirror image. One of the images was SHUSH.

SHUSH in the Negaverse was an underground organization, an organization very much akin to the Mafia. They dealt with extortion, robbery, and worse things. Things that were mostly aimed at turning a profit for their leader, a rather unscrupulous old owl named J. Gander Hooter, who had founded the organization long ago, and aside from the fierce and evil Negaduck, Hooter was consider one of the most hardened and vicious crime lords in the world. Funnily enough, Negaduck and Hooter didn't clash, but instead worked together. Hooter more resources then Negaduck had, and Negaduck knew how to pick his battles. So, for now, Negaduck worked with SHUSH.

It was hard to find SHUSH, as the place was well hidden. IN fact, SHUSH was located several miles beneath the sewage systems beneath St. Canard. Agents of SHUSH entered the place beneath the city via a collection of tunnels. The entrances to these tunnels were located in several places; some more run down then others.

Right now, in the headquarters of SHUSH, an argument was brewing.

"You want to give this mission to who!" Dr. Sarah Bellum glared at her boss. J. Gander Hooter glared right back at his lead scientist. "Why can't you have Negaduck test it?"

"Make no mistake, Dr. Bellum, Negaduck is probably our most valuable resource. However, I won't ask him to perform such a menial task. Besides, the boy needs some field experience." Hooter's eyes glittered coldly. He was almost the exact opposite of Negaduck. Where Negaduck was a creature of terrible rage and temper, Hooter was cold and detached. Many times Dr. Bellum had seen the man shoot down the people who disappointed or failed him in this very office, but all of this was done with cold efficiency. Hooter rarily, if ever, lost his temper.

"Nicolas Khola doesn't need field experience. He needs a bullet to the head." Dr. Bellum growled.

Hooter smiled a bit. "You might get your wish. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime-"

To Dr. Bellum supreme irritation, the young man they had been talking about burst into Hooter's office at that moment, with barely a knock or even the most rudimentary of a by-your-leave. The young koala was a newcomer to the SHUSH organization, and personally Dr. Bellum thought he was something of an idiot. Small, almost constantly frazzled, and worst off, he was loud. Worst then that, he was young. Younger than her. Not that she was old, mind you, but he was much younger at seventeen then she was at almost thirty. She remembered, a long time ago, when she had been an equally young doctor competing against the older man that was her predecessor at SHUSH, and ultimately winning against him when he met with a…accident. Needless to say, she was very aware of the similarities of two situations. Yes, Dr. Bellum hated that kid to no end.

"Mr. Hooter! Sir! Whatdoyaneed!" The small koala jumped a bit in his excitement, eyes bright with eagerness.

Hooter gave the young scientist a stern look. "Stop that nonsense. Now." Khola stopped jumping and stood, ramrod straight. Dr. Bellum snorted. What a fool!

"Now, do you know what this is?" Hooter reached under his desk and pulled out what appeared to be the long nozzled end of a vacuum cleaner attachment connected to a huge tube like structure with a light bulb filament. The other end supported what the handle of a gun, which had been haphazardly taped on.

"Oh, oh! That's Dr. Bellum's energy sucker thingy!" Khola said, doing a little back and forth dance on his paws.

"Indeed. As you know we've been having a…power issue at the headquarters." Hooter said. It was hard to electricity to a place that was not technically habited and that didn't get power from official means, like the power company. This meant that SHUSH was constantly on the search for new power sources. Dr. Bellum's energy sucker was built to siphon the energy from just about anywhere, as long as it was electrical, and store it in its own special container, which would then be used to power the rest of SHUSH HQ. Unfortunately it was still untested.

"I want you, Dr. Khola, to take this out for a field test. Bring me enough energy to power this place for a week and might consider letting your out of the probationary offices." Hooter said.

"Mweeeeeehehehehehe!" Khola giggled and jumped up and down again. The probationary office was a small, closet room in the back of the labs, where young new coming scientists like himself were banished until they proved themselves. With a speed that surprised even Hooter, Khola grabbed the device and whirled around. "I'll get right on it! I'll power this building for a whole week! No! A month! NO, A YEAR!" With every word Khola's voice got higher, so that when he left the windows in the office started to crack a minute bit. These cracks were exasperated when Khola slammed the door as he left.

After a few second Dr. Bellum sighed greatly. "He…just tries way to hard." She muttered.

* * *

><p>"Megs! You're here!" Quackerjack grinned broadly at the newest member of their team, who struggled not to sigh. Megavolt had promised himself that he would be nice. It was hard though. He had never been a part of a team before, and he didn't know that it would require as much…work as it did. Especially with Quackerjack. Yes the clown had improved a vast amount in the mental department, but that didn't make his cheeriness any less annoying.<p>

"Okay, what is the point of this, again?" Megavolt said as he walked into Quackerjack's weird lair. The toys scattered about the place was enough to make anyone feel out of place and creeped out.

"Come on, we have to make sure that what happed at the bank doesn't happen again." Bushroot said as he walked over to his two teammates. Apparently Megavolt had been the last to arrive, as he spotted the Liquidator standing behind Bushroot. Megavolt couldn't help but feel a bit leery about the Liquidator. After all, it was his fault Megavolt had gotten shorted out at the bank. But then again, it was true that Megavolt had no experience working and fighting with others. He needed the practice. And the Liquidator had promised to be more careful about where he put himself. Megavolt really didn't have a problem with the man himself, just the stuff he was made of.

"Training area is this way!" Quackerjack, who had produced his signature pogo stick from…somewhere, bounced over to the other end of his lair, toward an arched doorway made of unnecessarily (in Megavolt's opinion) huge Legos. Bushroot and the Liquidator were both smiling as they followed Quackerjack, but Megavolt was not. He was too busy trying not to step on any toys. Really, did Quackerjack actually spend his free time playing with these? Megavolt hoped not. Just when he thought Quackerjack couldn't get any creepier…

Megavolt stepped through the Lego arch and almost screamed. It just got creepier.

"Why the hell is there a huge robotic bear standing there! Why is half its face missing?" Megavolt screamed. Indeed, at the other end of the large room was a half build, gigantic teddy bear with half of the face torn off. Robotics blinked cheerily from the horrible robot half of the face, while the other side depicted a rather cute brown teddy face. It was jarring.

"Oh, that's just Terror Teddy! He's not done yet! Been building him for the past year! Isn't he wonderful?" Quackerjack jumped over to Megavolt with a proud grin. "He's going to a fully functional robotic bear!"

"It's the size of a skyscraper!" Megavolt exclaimed.

"Of course he is! He's a weapon! Ever seen those movies and cartoons from Japan where they have all the giant monsters and machines fighting each other! Same principle, only a bear!" Quackerjack said.

"Quackerjack, have you ever considered professional help?" Megavolt asked.

"Oh, Agent Steelbeak got me out of that a long time ago. All those doctors want to do is give you pills! Not fun. It's very boring, to be honest. And I don't think that orderly liked me much after a punched him." Quackerjack grinned. "Anyway, enough about Terror Teddy! I need to set up the arena!" Quackerjack bounced away.

Megavolt finally tore his eyes away from the soulless black socket of Terror Teddy's half robotic face and looked about the room. The room was dominated by a Lego obstacle course, as well as everything you would find in a normal gym, but made of Legos and a bit of colorful string. There was even a matted area in the corner.

"I know it looks…odd, but it works." Bushroot smiled as he came to stand beside Megavolt. "When we first got together Quacky built all of this for us. He's not really a theoretical thinker, but I don't think anyone can build things better than Quackerjack."

Megavolt turned to look at him. "He was in a mental institution." It was not a question.

Bushroot shrugged. "Yeah, I think so."

"And you let him run around!"

Bushroot's smile wilted. "He's my friend. Stop being so dismissive of him!"

Megavolt clenched his teeth. "That's not what I mean! You say he's your friend, but do you really think this!" Megavolt gestured at Terror Teddy "is healthy!"

"He has just as much right to be here as you." The Liquidator interjected.

"You're not telling me that you're encouraging his…his…insanity! You're not telling me you're encouraging him to help you fight Negaduck!" Megavolt hissed at the other two. "Because if that is what you're telling me, then you're using him! You're taking advantage of his madness."

The two of them glared at Megavolt. "That's not it, Megavolt. You don't think we tried to convince him to get help as well? He just…" Bushroot sighed. "It's complicated."

Megavolt stood awkwardly apart from the others as Quackerjack rushed around, picking up toy soldiers and placing them around in the room at strategic points. He pulled out a wind up key from his pocket and began to wind up his little soldiers.

"Teddy! Come on!" Quackerjack began to shout.

"Er, it's right over there." Megavolt pointed at the huge bear.

"Not him, the little one. Ah! Here you are, Teddy!" Quackerjack grinned as a waist sized teddy bear, obviously another robot, trotted up to him with a grumbling growl. The teddy bear folded its arms and nodded at Quackerjack. "Teddy usually plays enemy commander in these things. He'll lead the toy soldiers against us, and all we have to do is fight them and see how well we do."

Megavolt looked down at the tan teddy bear, who gave him a sharp toothed grin. The bear cracked his mechanical knuckles and sneered at Megavolt. Sparks flew aggressively from Megavolt's plug hat. No way was he going to back down from a teddy bear!

"We just fight em?" Megavolt asked. Quackerjack nodded, still smiling. The teddy bear turned around and approached the toy soldiers and started too grumbled at them. Megavolt thought it looked like they were actually talking, but that was impossible. They were just toys. Dangerous toys, but toys nonetheless.

"Yeah, it's up to Teddy when he wants to attack." Quackerjack said, still smiling.

All of a sudden Teddy turned around with a snarl and lunged for Megavolt with a full body tackle, which at first Megavolt simply couldn't take that seriously. He really wasn't sure if he should be afraid of a teddy bear…until the bear bore him to the ground with surprising strength. Whatever Quackerjack had built it out of, it was heavy. Teddy snarled and lifted its arm as long claws snapped out of its fingers. Megavolt zapped the bear in the chest, which only rocked the thing back a bit.

Quackerjack yowled his typical battle cry and pulled out a large spring, shooting it at Teddy. The huge spring boinged and landed around Teddy's shoulders and head, preventing it from bringing its claws down on Megavolt. Megavolt shot another bolt at the now unbalanced toy, and this time managed to blow Teddy away from him.

Bushroot reached down and picked up Megavolt, while the Liquidator sprang into action. Making sure he didn't brush against Megavolt again, the Liquidator flowed towards the toy soldiers, which were beginning to aim and fire their weapons at the group. Quackerjack had also sprung into battle beside the Liquidator, tossing marbles at his own toys. The toys were pretty good at dodging and avoiding blows, probably because they were so small.

Megavolt sneered and started to blast the various toy soldiers to bits, going from the left to the right. He noticed Bushroot starting to catch and toss them around with his vines. However, he was so busy trying to look at both Bushroot and the Liquidator at the same time, he was still leery of being shorted out, that he missed the fact that Quackerjack was cart wheeling right towards his electrical beams. He was caught off guard when Quackerjack literally leaped into his vision, and Megavolt accidently hit Quackerjack. Quackerjack screamed and went ridged and the electricity hit him, and Megavolt quickly halted his attack.

"Stop stop stop!" Quackerjack bellowed as he turned around to glare at Megavolt. "What is your problem?"

"You got in my way! Watch where you're going!"

"You're the one shooting the sparks! It's your power, why can't you control it?" Quackerjack retorted.

"I can control it! You jumped in front of me!"

"Do I look like I have eyes in the back of my head?" Quackerjack marched towards Megavolt, who folded his arms and snorted at Quackerjack. The two of them simply glared at each other.

"Guys, simmer down." Bushroot held up his hands and approached the two. "Quackerjack you know that Megavolt isn't used to working with others, just give him some time and-"

"Time? Why should I? He won't give me any!" Quackerjack turned his back on Megavolt and folded his arms in an almost childish manner.

"What are you talking about?" Megavolt asked.

"I know you don't think much of me, but you don't really think I'm deaf do you?" Quackerjack snarled. "I heard you guys talking about me! Just because these two" Quackerjack pointed at the Liquidator and Bushroot, who stood there awkwardly. "Happen to be fighting with me doesn't mean that they're using me! I'm not less then you! I'm not less than any of you!" Quackerjack turned back around and stuck his bill in Megavolt's face. "I may be insane, but at least I don't look down on everyone like you!"

"You should have stayed in that nuthouse." Megavolt said bluntly. "For your own good, and everyone else's!"

"What, you don't trust me?"

"No! I don't! I can't! How can I?" Megavolt screeched. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted it. The hurt look that crossed Quackerjack's face was painful to see, but Megavolt was determined not to back down. He didn't think he was wrong, but he had to admit that he could have put all of it a bit more delicately.

Quackerjack shoved past Megavolt and stomped out of the training room.

Bushroot sighed deeply. "Nice going." He glanced at Megavolt as he walked out after Quackerjack.

The Liquidator was shaking his head and staring at Megavolt, who turned and snapped at him. "What?"

"Don't you get it? Out of all of us, Quackerjack is the only one without power, save for his own inventiveness, but he still has earned his place with us. But you, you're different. From the moment you meet him you've belittled him. He can't forget that."

"Look, I'm not trying to be mean. I wasn't even talking about the fact that he doesn't have powers! Okay, it still bothers me, but the fact that he was in an insane asylum bothers me more tha-"

The Liquidator stepped, slowly and deliberately, closer to Megavolt, who tensed at the presence of his most hated element. Water.

"You do not know the first thing about Quackerjack. You don't know why he was in there, and you don't know what happened to him. I do. You have no idea how much Bushroot and I had to help him through. As long as you keep this up you'll never be part of this team. Not really." The Liquidator turned away and started to slosh after his friends. "Before you start passing judgment on us why don't you get to know us?"

Megavolt watched him start to leave, then found himself asking "What happened to him?"

The Liquidator turned and sneered. "Why don't you figure that out yourself, Megavolt?"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, about sunset, saw Megavolt skating across the telephone wires of the city, his mind whirling with other things. He didn't know why he was so hard on Quackerjack, but there was just something about that guy. Something…something different. He didn't understand it, but Megavolt found himself very unbalanced when Quackerjack was around, much more then when the others were around.<p>

What in the world could have happened to that guy? People didn't just up and decide to run around in a jester outfit acting like a clown! Let's see…what did Megavolt know about Quackerjack? Knowing that it would take him a bit to think things through, as his memory sometimes was similar to Swiss cheese on occasion, Megavolt leaped from the telephone wire to a handy roof and sat down, thinking hard.

Let's see. Megavolt pulled out his diary and began to flip through it, looking for anything that might pertain to Quackerjack. He remembered there was something that the man had said…something about his family. Oh yes! Megavolt pulled out his other diary, the black one listing Negaduck's victims, and flipped through it.

"Let's see. William Quacker Sr…forty two. I remember changing it because Quackerjack said the age was wrong. Earlier that day…when we were fighting Negaduck…"

Megavolt concentrated hard. What had Quackerjack said to Negaduck? Something about his father…and someone named…Richard? Rodney? Reynolds? It started with and r, Megavolt remembered that much. He idly flipped through his black diary, when another name seemed to jump out at him.

"Robert Quacker" Megavolt read aloud. "Shot during Negaduck's attack on the new toy museum at the grand opening. Taken to hospital and vanished. Presumed dead." Most likely dead. It had been a head wound after all. Even though Megavolt had heard of the odd freak case of a person surviving brain trauma like that, there was that case he had read about where someone had lived through having a metal bar shoved through their brain, it wasn't likely that this Robert guy was alive. "Wait! He did say it was Robert! Something about…not talking bad about Robert and Father…or something to that effect…does that mean that…?"

Megavolt didn't usually keep a record of the living victims of Negaduck, just the dead. He wondered if he needed to start. While he didn't have a record of the younger Quacker sibling, he did know, like everyone knew, that he had existed. After all, it wasn't every day that a CEO's kid brother dressed up as a clown and…wait!

"Ohhh! How could I have overlooked that! Stupid stupid brain!" Megavolt began to pace around in a circle, smacking his head lightly with both fists. "It was all right there! Quackerjack! William Quacker! Toy company clown! It was all right there! Why did I never bother to connect the dots? He must have been there! Must have seen Negaduck kill his brother! Maybe even his father! That's why he's so…him…"

Megavolt sighed and hung his head. "I'm such an idiot." He muttered to himself. As he was sitting there feeling generally mad at himself, Megavolt felt an odd jolt around the plug situated on his chest. Megavolt's head shot up and he looked around, just in time to see several lights going out.

"Hmmm, power outage. Right up my alley!" Megavolt jumped from the roof to the power lines and placed his hand on the wires, feeling the electrical charges that were even now flowing towards the power plants, flowing far faster then they usually flowed.

"What's going on?" A familiar voice asked from the bottom of the telephone pole that Megavolt was perched on. Megavolt looked down and saw Quackerjack standing at the corner, a big hotdog in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Megavolt asked.

Quackerjack lifted the hotdog. "Dinner. That a problem for you?" The duck's eyes were narrowed in challenge as he spoke those words.

"No, just curious." Megavolt said, trying to remain calm. He knew that fighting with Quackerjack wouldn't be productive. He lifted his head and looked at the distance form of the power plant. "Someone is stealing the power. It's causing a blackout."

"Well, let's go then." Quackerjack stuffed his hotdog into his beak and finished it in two huge gulps.

"Go get the others an-"

"No way! I'm not letting you use me as your messenger! I'm going to be right there with you!" Quackerjack pulled out his pogo stick and gave Megavolt a glare.

Megavolt gritted his teeth. "Do you have anything that you can use to send a message to them? I don't want to just go charging in there like a pair of idiots."

"Oh, you mean like you've done all your-"

"Will you give me a break here? I'm trying to work with you!" Megavolt screeched.

"Oh, now there's a first." Quackerjack turned around and folded his arms again, irritating Megavolt to no end.

"There you go, acting like a child again! Look…" Megavolt sighed. "I'm sorry for the things I've said to you. I've been unfair a bit."

"A bit." Quackerjack snorted.

"Quackerjack, please. I'm sorry." Megavolt was shocked to find that he meant it. "I…I can't do this without help, okay? I've admitted it now, okay?"

Quackerjack sighed. "Alright. Fine. Let's go." As if his mind couldn't stay on an angry setting for long, Quackerjack grinned and jumped onto his pogo stick. "Lead the way!"

Ignoring the feeling of dread in his chest, Megavolt started to skate towards the power plant, followed by the last person in the world he wanted behind him. He just hoped that clown wouldn't do something rash.

* * *

><p>Dr. Khola giggled manically as he used Dr. Bellum's energy device on the pylons in the power plant. Yes it was a stupid, ineffective way to get power. He could come up with a better device in an hour! Still, Dr. Bellum had Hooter's ear, and Khola knew that he couldn't get his own ideas out there until he proved himself.<p>

"Small fuzzy one! Are you not done with this? The Dingo is bored, mate!"

Khola sighed. If there was anyone in SHUSH who knew less about indoor voices then Dr. Khola it was Dingo. Dingo was several levels of crazy, probably from all the injections he had been given. For one thing he was not a dingo at all, but a kangaroo. He was a deep red color, with small pointed ears and the usual long legs of his kind. He usually wore a small blue vest and little else. For some odd reason he had painted his ears black, and streaked his face with black paint as well, giving in an odd, slightly feral look. To go along with his loud, booming voice, he also had a tendency to go on and on about the Power of Destruction, or something like that. He was under the impression that he had to end ninety percent of his sentences with the word 'mate', along with his very bad, very fake, Australian accent.

"Dingo! Stop using that term! You're from Chicago, not Australia!" Dr. Khola yelled.

To Khola's irritation, Dingo jumped over towards him and started talking again. "I am bored by the lack of fighting and blooding and killing, mate! The Dingo requires death and destruction and many explosions!"

"Oh, well, we certainly don't want our villains to be bored here in St. Canard! How about the two of us make your stay nice and shocking!"

Dr. Khola and Dingo looked up to find Megavolt and Quackerjack standing in one of the windows of the power plant, staring down at them with identical incredulous expressions.

"Oh thank you!" Dingo bellowed. "The Dingo thanks the Gods of Destruction and Death for this gift of foolish mortal heroes to pound in the deep dark depths of the ground, mate!"

"Ummm, who are you talking to?" Quackerjack asked. "I mean, at least I talk to something physical, right Mr. Banana Brain?" "That's right!" The puppet said, through Quackerjack.

Megavolt tried, with great effort, not to slap his hand over his face. He didn't want to provoke Quackerjack. Or the rest of the crazies. He suddenly realized he was in a room, alone, with Quackerjack, an apparently insane kangaroo that might be under the impression that he was a dingo, and a koala with a weapon that apparently was sucking the power out of the power plant. All of a sudden Megavolt really hated his life.

"Wait! You're that Megavolt guy!" Khola said, pointing at the rat.

"Right, and who am I going to be hauling to jail today, may I ask?" Megavolt let himself spark a bit from his hat. This was going to be so therapeutic.

"I'm Dr. Khola! That's Dingo! He's an idiot!"

"Seriously? He's name's Dr. Cola?" Quackerjack laughed. "Now we have villains from the snack aisle?"

"And the Dingo's gonna have a snack on you! And yer baby!" Dingo shrieked and bounced over towards Quackerjack, who was taken completely off guard by this…odd comment. He had to duck as Dingo's huge feet flashed towards his head in an attempt to behead him. Quackerjack moved backwards as Dingo moved to punch him in an almost perfect boxing pose. Quackerjack grinned and, seemingly from out of thin air, a pair of springs appeared on his feet and he began to bounce backwards. Dingo, seeing this, let out a scream of pure rage and bounced right after Quackerjack, using his natural feet to spring as he punched at Quackerjack. Quackerjack laughed in glee mimicked Dingo's moves as he made them mockingly. This served to enrage Dingo, which was exactly what Quackerjack wanted.

Megavolt realized what his companion was doing and aimed a blast of electricity at Dr. Khola, who let out a rather girly scream and ducked behind a pylon, energy sucking gun clutched in his hands. Khola's heart was beating a mile a minute. At first he wasn't sure what to do about the heroes, but now he was terrified. He had never been shot at before.

However, as he clutched the energy sucking gun he started to grin. "That rodent is powered by electricity! What would you do to him, little gun? Meweehehehehehe!"

"You know, that whole evil scientist laugh is really overdone." Megavolt said as he strolled around the pylon, his electricity gun raised and ready.

Khola couldn't think of a retort, but the giggling continued as he turned his weapon on Megavolt and fired, hitting Megavolt square in the plug. Megavolt gasped, as the energy sucker began to leech his strength at ludicrous speeds. He felt almost like he was being short circuited, but the draining sensation was ten times worse, and much faster with the thing that was being used on him. The huge light bulb attached to the gun began to glow brightly, and Megavolt fell to the ground, too weak to move.

"Megavolt!" Quackerjack turned his head to look at what was going on behind him, and received a punch in the face from Dingo as a reward. Dingo, while not exactly stable, had a very nasty right hook, and the blow sent Quackerjack flying into the far wall.

Dazed, Quackerjack thought for a second he saw little twitting blue birds circling his head, but they field when his vision was obstructed by something that was not a bird. In fact, it was the hind legs of a kangaroo coming down to slam into his gut, and probably disembowel him. Swiftly Quackerjack rolled out of the way as Dingo landed where he had just been a second ago. Dingo didn't miss a beat as he turned and lashed out with his broad tail, smacking Quackerjack again. Once again Quackerjack flew into the air, skidding to a stop beside the pylon where Dr. Khola was gloating over Megavolt, who still couldn't move.

Quackerjack looked from Megavolt to the gun, and then smiled. "It's plaaaaaaaaaaytime!" Quackerjack bellowed and activated his shoe springs, rocking towards Dr. Khola, who had been too busy gloating to consider the danger he was in. Quackerjack grabbed the gun from Dr. Khola's hands and backflipped into the air. Using the springs he launched himself into the air and grabbed onto one of the roof supports. He flipped himself around and hooked his legs around the support, dangling upside down from the roof.

"I love playing with buttons." Quackerjack smiled. "Let's see, what does this one does!"

It was at this point that Megavolt realized that his fate now pretty much depended on what button a crazy, jester suited duck picked out from a gun of energy draining evil. He just knew that Quackerjack would do something silly or stupid to doom them all! It sounded like something he would do! To Megavolt's horror he saw that Dingo had leaped onto the same roof supports that Quackerjack had and was even now sliding towards Quackerjack with a grimace of anger on his face. To Megavolt surprise, Quackerjack didn't do anything to the device, but looked down at Megavolt. Quackerjack looked down at him and smiled sadly.

"Well? What should I do?" Quackerjack said.

Megavolt stared at Quackerjack, if he didn't pick right then…who knew that that thing could do? But Dingo was getting closer, and Megavolt had a feeling that the crazed kangaroo was intent on murder.

"Do something!" Megavolt shouted.

Quackerjack cocked his head at Megavolt, an odd angle for the poor drained rat, but apparently it was the right thing to say. Quackerjack's bucktoothed grin was big enough to use for signaling planes. Rapidly, with the mania of someone who was in a hurry, but had no idea what they were doing, Quackerjack began to push buttons. The device began to make a metallic _erk erk erk_ sound, and began to rattle in Quackerjack's hands so much that his arms began to tremble. The device leaped out of Quackerjack's hands and landed on the floor, still trembling wildly. With a loud bang the device exploded and electricity began to spark in the air.

Megavolt sighed in relief as a bolt hit him, giving him enough strength to start absorbing more. It was easy, as the air was now filled with bolts of electricity. Megavolt stood up and concentrated hard. The bolt of electricity stopped their wild courses and came to him, being absorbed by him. By the time he was finished Megavolt was glowing with energy.

Khola, for some reason, didn't seem scared anymore. He was staring, open mouthed, at the remains of the gun. He lifted his head to gaze at Megavolt (who felt just great, thank you) and shook with rage.

"You slimy murid! You little bastard! I'll kill you! I'll tear out your eyeballs and feed them to Dingo!"

Megavolt smiled a bit and rubbed his hands together, sparks flying from his hat and hands. "Come and try." Electricity arched from his hat towards Khola, who ducked behind a pylon, still screaming in complete and total rage. Megavolt threw electricity everywhere, not just at the doctor, but all around the room, as he wanted to get this guy, now.

Dingo bellowed incoherently from behind and above Megavolt. He looked up and saw Dingo lunge forwards and aimed a punch at his nose. Megavolt reeled backwards and electricity shot from his hands to electrify Dingo, who seemed to shrug it off. Dingo punched again, but this time Megavolt was prepared. He dodged to the side and grabbed Dingo's arm, and shot more electricity into Dingo. Dingo screeched in pain.

Megavolt turned to Dr Khola. "You ready to surrender?"

Dr. Khola's giggle reached a strange, almost girlish level. "Are you really going to leave your little friend there on the ground like that?"

"What?" Megavolt turned and gasped. Quackerjack was lying face down on the ground, apparently out cold. Or worse. "What do did you do you crazy kangaroo!" Megavolt twisted Dingo's arm. Dingo just laughed at him.

"The Dingo did nothing! That was your pleasure, mate!" Dingo grinned. "You blasted your little buddy right out of his perch!" With that Dingo leaned back and punched Megavolt, who lost his grip on Dingo's arm and reeled backwards.

Dingo started to advance towards Megavolt, but Khola grabbed him by the arm. "No! Get us out of here!" Dingo stared at his companion, and then nodded. He grabbed the smaller creature and jumped away. Within moments the two villains were gone, and Megavolt was a few minutes away from falling them, but then he remembered Quackerjack.

Megavolt went to Quackerjack and knelt down, looking his teammate over. He turned Quackerjack over and found a burn mark on his jester suit, evidence that Dingo had told the truth.

"Oh man, it's just like during training! I wasn't watching what I was doing and I hit him again!" Megavolt couldn't even pretend that it was somehow Quackerjack's fault. It had been his fault. He had been reckless and stupid, and now one of his friends had been hurt.

"You know you can be very overdramatic at times, you know that?" Megavolt looked down at Quackerjack, who was looking at him with an expression of mild amusement.

"You idiot! You scared me to death!" Megavolt screeched.

"Simmer down; you just stunned me a bit with all that zapping." Quackerjack sat up with a groan. "They got away, huh?"

"Yeah, but we stopped em." Megavolt smiled.

"I guess we do make a decent team."

Megavolt frowned. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Only because you're an arrogant jerk." Quackerjack said.

Megavolt shrugged. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight." Hooter gazed at the two trembling fools in front of him with cold eyes. "You not only failed, utterly I might add, in your mission, but you also managed to get our device broken?" Hooter leaned forwards. "Is that what you are telling me?"<p>

Dingo opened his mouth, but Dr Khola stomped on his foot. "We got jumped by Megavolt!"

"Megavolt? The rat with electrical powers?" Dr. Bellum said with a small smile. "The one person in the world that might be the most vulnerable against my device? For shame…Khola."

"He had a friend with him! A clown! Quackerjack!" Dr. Khola shouted.

"The clown?" Agent Grizzlikof, SHUSH's top agent, snorted. "With all the genetic enhancements you haff been given, Dingo? You couldn't take down one clown?" For once Dingo didn't seem to have something to shout.

"Grizzlikof, I think these two have no place in SHUSH." Hooter said. "Get them out of my office. Now. If I see either of them here again, shoot them."

Dingo and Khola gulped as Grizzlikof stepped towards them, eyes alight with cruel joy.

A few seconds later Khola had the dubious of honor of being personally punted across a dirty, run down street by a huge Russian bear. Dingo swiftly followed, almost landing on top of Khola.

"You! You! I'll kill you all! I'll come back and burn your damn headquarters to the ground! I'll make you all beg for mercy!" Khola begin to jump around in anger. Grizzlikof merely laughed and turned away. He heard things like that all the time. He slammed the door to what appeared to be an ordinary house shut.

"I'll have my revenge! You'll see! I'll show all those fools!"

Dingo, who despite his own strangeness could feel the oldness of that line, rolled his eyes and sighed. He squeaked when the enraged Dr. Khola reached up and gripped him by the throat.

"You're going to help me! Right, Dingo!"

"Uh-"

"RIGHT!" Khola squeezed.

"Okay, fine!" Dingo shook Khola off him. "The Dingo's on your side!"

Khola started to stomp down the street, still ranting about those fools in the SHUSH offices. Dingo followed, still rolling his eyes in exasperation, but still going along with this.

"As long as the Dingo's got something to fight, he's happy, mate!" Dingo said to himself, but Khola heard him.

"For the last time, you're from Chicago, not Australia you FOOL!"

As they passed several houses lost their windows to the sound frequencies reached by Dr. Khola, but if either villain noticed they showed no sign.

* * *

><p>"So, how are you feeling?" Megavolt asked as he stared at the stars. How he managed to get Quackerjack to sit down for a few moments was a mystery, but here they were. Okay, so a roof of a skyscraper was not the best place for a chat, but he knew that he needed to get this issue that they had between them settled if they were to work together. The problem was that Megavolt didn't know how to settle it.<p>

"Me, I'm just fine. You're the one that's weird." Quakerjack was standing a few meters away from him, back turned away from Megavolt. He didn't want to be here, that was clear in his body language, but he stayed.

"Quackerjack…I-"

"You don't trust me; you don't trust any of us." Quackerjack stated bluntly.

"I-"

"No amount of apologizing is going to change that. And you know what, from the way you act; I don't see any reason why I should trust you! I know nothing about you, none of us do!" Quackerjack shook his head. "You're impossible."

There was a long, tense silence.

"When I was seventeen I had a very good friend named Hamm String." Megavolt said. "I met him when we were kids, and we just sort of clicked. We knew this other kid, named Drake Mallard. He was my neighbor, and he was also crazy. He used to kill little baby animals in his basement and would dip their bodies in acid to hide his tracks. When he found out that I suspected him he tried to kill me, using my own experiment. It's what gave me my powers. That night was the first night I dressed up as Megavolt. I tried to expose Mallard, and it worked. He vowed that night to take away everything that Megavolt loved. The night of the prom he made good on that promise." Megavolt's voice hitched in his throat. In his mind he could see it again. "Drake Mallard became Negaduck, and he lit the prom on fire. I told Hamm to help the others, and I tried to fight Negaduck, but I lost…and Hamm…Hamm and his girlfriend burned to death, along with so many others that night. I knew that, if I ever told anyone who I really was, if Negaduck every found out…everyone else I loved would…" Megavolt hung his head, unable to say anything more. He heard Quackerjack turn around and walk towards him.

"You still have people out there. I have no one." Quackerjack said. "My father was William Quacker. The first one. He was poisoned, I think. He died. My brother was gunned down by Negaduck, I was there. That's why they put me away."

"Your mother? What about…" Megavolt could almost sense that was not the question to ask, but his mouth asked it anyway.

"I killed her."

"What?"

"When I was laid, I killed her. It happens, sometimes, you know, when the egg isn't…right. I was laid wrong."

"No!" Megavolt leaped to his feet and turned around to face Quackerjack. "You weren't even born; it's not your fault!" Quackerjack started to laugh at him, and Megavolt frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You sound so much like Bobby, you know? Funny, I didn't think I'd feel the same way about anyone else."

"Er…huh?"

"My brother. Bobby was my brother. You sound like him. He didn't think it was my fault either, though he should have." Quackerjack was still chuckling. "Do you worry about me, Megavolt?"

"I…yeah. I do."

"So did he. Maybe that's why I resent you so much. When you talk to me, I can hear his voice."

Megavolt stared at him for a few seconds. "I never had a brother. Is this what it's like?"

"Sometimes it's worse." Quackerjack smiled. "Sometimes it's better, Megavolt."

Megavolt took a deep breath. "Elmo."

"What?"

"I'm Elmo Sputterspark. Nice to meet you." Megavolt smiled.

Quackerjack frowned. "Are you sure about that, if I ever told Negaduck…"

"You wouldn't do that. I trust you."

"So now you do?"

"Yeah…I do."

Quackerjack smiled. "I see." He turned around. "Make no mistake; I know I belong in that insane asylum. I just can't go there, no yet. Not with Negaduck around. When he's gone, I'll go back. But I can't let Bobby's murderer go free."

"Revenge?" Megavolt asked.

"Are you going after him for killing Hamm, Elmo?" Quackerjack asked.

"No."

"There's your answer." Quackerjack said.

There was another long silence, but this silence was much friendlier, more comfortable. For the first time in his life, Megavolt felt very relived.

All of as sudden an explosion rocked the area west of them, and a fireball rose from what appeared to be a electronics store.

"Ah! Looks like more fun!" Quackerjack bounced over towards the explosion. "Let's go! It's plaaaaaaaaaaaaaytime!" Quackerjack's earlier somber mood was gone, replaced by his usual antics.

And, for the first time, it didn't bother Megavolt at all. "Right behind you…you lunatic."

Quackerjack just laughed at him, and bounced from the roof on his pogo stick, heading straight for the danger. Megavolt followed right on his heels.

The two heroes sped towards the scene of the crime, finally at peace with each other…

For now at least.

* * *

><p>AN: My new oc, Dr. Nicolas Khola, is kinda a joke in three parts. The first part is the most obvious "Dr. Cola" which I kinda got from a dramatic reading of that horrible My Immortal fic by two guys on youtube. Because the spelling was so bad one of the characters was called this in the reading. The line "Seriously? His name is Dr. Cola?" comes from an Animorphs book The Change where the line is said by Jake in relation to a Hork-Bajir named Jara Hamee (The line in the book is "Seriously? His name is Jeremy?"). The last little joke is the fact that, if you say his name as Nick Khola it's supposed to sound like Nikola, as in Nikola Tesla.

I apologize to everyone from Australia for Dingo (even though he's really from Chicago...in fact I also apologize to anyone from Chicago). I also want to state that, despite the fact that the format of this story is inspired by the New Adventures of Darkwing Duck fanfiction by Scyphi, I didn't purposefully write Dingo with Scyphi's oc otter Rowe in mind at all, despite the fact that Dingo and Rowe both use that mate phrase. I intended Dingo to have a fake Australian accent, and that verbal tic goes with it. I just now noticed that he uses that word the same way Rowe does, but that was accidental. Or, maybe I've just been reading too much of that fic… I also apologize for the worst usage of the "Dingo's ate my baby" joke in internet history…that I know of. I couldn't help myself.

I know both of these new villains are very over the top and kinda much, but I figured that since I've created a more mellow version of Megavolt, indeed all the Friendly Four seem to be more mellowed than their counterparts, I needed someone to take the role of maniacal mad scientist who cackles and screams and creates horrible monstrosities that fly in the face of God and nature. So instead of Bushroot and Megavolt doing that it'll be Khola and probably also Dr. Bellum eventually. At least that is the plan. We'll see what happens.

"Murid" is just another term for "Murinae", one of the Scientific classifications for mice and rats. I didn't want to go for the more obvious rodent or even something like rattus (the rat's genus) because it was a little too obvious. Besides, murid sounds a bit more like genuine slur to me.

No, I don't know if canonically Disney ducks are hatched because…you know, Disney. But then again, they are birds. I made the best guess I could and went with what felt right.

I have a hard time writing down accents, so that's why Dingo and Grizzlikof's accents are badly written. Hopefully this will be one of those things that will improve over time. After all, I do this basically to improve my writing. Heck, I hashed out my where were problem through fanfictions. I used to get those mixed up all the time.

The episode Days of Blunder always puzzled me, mostly because of the gapping plothole of why in the world Quackerjack would need to buy a gigantic robot teddy bear when he usually just makes all of his toys. Why not make a giant teddy bear? Hench my Nega-Terror Teddy. Of course, then after I spent way too much time thinking about it, finally it occurred to me that maybe Darkwingverse Quackerjack just didn't have the tools or the parts to make Terror Teddy. Still, I like Terror Teddy and will probably use him later, so I just went ahead with the idea that Nega-Quackerjack built his own.

* * *

><p><em>Next time: Quackerjack has always had a rocky relationship with video games, but when his friends lose themselves in the newest craze; it's up to him to rescue them. If only he can figure out what all these monsters are for, and why does he need them to win…<em>


	2. A Nightmare in 8 Bits

An Author's Note: I'm not even going to hide it, because it's so obvious. Yes, the game is basically Pokemon. Heck, I can't help it. It was either Pokemon or the Legend of Zelda, and I chose Pokemon. I don't own Pokemon. That honor goes to Nintendo.

Chapter 2

A Nightmare in 8 bits

Most of the time Quackerjack used his great toy making skills for creating weapons to fight Negaduck, and the other criminals of St. Canard. He loved it. He loved building toys with real rockets and bullets and things that exploded. However, as much as he loved making weapons, Quackerjack's real love was toys. Real toys, not weapons, were something that he adored with all his heart. Sometimes, he just needed to make something that didn't explode in your face.

Quackerjack grinned to himself as he finished the last little carve on his wooden horse's tail. It was finished, or at least the carving part of it was finished. Quackerjack leaned back and admired the small horse figurine he had just made. The horse was throwing its head in the air, mouth open in mid whinny. The left hoof was raised as if ready to step, and the right hind leg was thrown backwards.

"It's beautiful, isn't it Mr. Banana Brain?" Quackerjack lifted his doll up and smiled.

"It is! What are you going to paint it?"

"Oh, I don't know! So many colors!" Quackerjack gestured at the cubbyholes to his left side, which housed small bottles filled with paint. "Brown maybe! Or maybe red! I like red!"

"Neon green!" Mr. Banana Brain exclaimed.

_Horses aren't green_. Headboss interjected.

"Who cares? It'll be fun!" Retorted Mr. Banana Brain.

_ The entire point of that horse was to make it realistic. Painting it green would be counterproductive. Red is a perfectly nice color_.

"Okay! Red I think! We can build him a saddle or something and make that green!" Quackerjack reasoned.

_Christmas horse. Bloody brilliant._

"Yeah, I thought so too!" Quackerjack said as he reached for a tiny brush.

_What have I said about talking aloud to me in public? You look insane._

"I think its fun!" Said Mr. Banana Brain.

_You would. Megavolt just stopped looking at us with that same look. You remember that look? That look that Robert always gave us? That Father gave us? Do you want that, Quackerjack?_

"No…" Quackerjack shook his head and concentrated on the paint bottles. Better that then the voices in his head. He knew that it was strange enough talking to Mr. Banana Brain, who never shut up. At least Headboss didn't talk to the others. Maybe Headboss was shy?

Quackerjack selected a rather nice, brownish red color and began to paint the muzzle of his horse. He smiled as each brush stroke brought his simple wooden creation to life. Or, sort of life. Wooden things didn't move around, unless Bushroot wanted them too.

Quackerjack frowned at that thought. He hoped the fact that he had just carved a horse out of wood didn't offend Bushy. Bushroot didn't like people eating veggies, or at least he didn't like watching people eating veggies or fruits or anything from a plant. Even stuff like corn, which really wasn't the actual plant, made Bushroot slightly greener. He said it was like watching someone eat hair and toenails. Quackerjack was more of a meat eater himself, so he had no problem eating mostly meat when Bushroot was around. Still, he didn't want Bushroot to be upset by his carving.

"Aww, who cares? You can't always be catering to other people. You had fun, that's all that matters!" Mr. Banana Brain said.

_ That's not right, Quackerjack. You know that. Bushroot has helped you a lot. _

"I…don't think it will bother Bushy."

"What will bother me?"

Quackerjack jumped a bit in his chair. He had shown his friends how to get to his secret lair, and trusted them all to keep his secret.

"Er…I carved a horse out of wood." Quackerjack smiled and held up his horse to show Bushroot. Bushroot smiled at the small figurine.

"What does it do?" He asked.

"Nothing. It's just a wooden horse." Quackerjack said. "You have to use your imagination, you know?"

"Ah, I thought you only did dangerous toys."

"Mostly, yes. But I love making these older things. Isn't he just precious! Look at his little horsey face!" Quackerjack cuddled his horse, accidently getting a bit of the red paint on his cheek.

"It's very detailed." Bushroot said admiringly. "But was there something you thought might bother me?"

"Well, I did carve it out of one of your friends…" Quackerjack said a little guiltily.

Bushroot smiled gently at his friend. "Quackerjack, if I were to get upset at everyone who cut or carved wood I'd be mad at the entire world, and what kind of life would that be? It's fine."

Quackerjack's grin grew even bigger. He finally noticed the two devices that Bushroot was holding. One of them was green, the other red. They were odd, rectangular shaped boxes with buttons on the sides. "What are those?" He asked.

"They're called Portis. Portable gaming system things. Like the Wiffletrons your company used to make, but from a different company. Aix, I think."

"Aix?" Quackerjack frowned. He remembered them. They had indeed been a competitor of Whiffledork. He hadn't liked them any more than WBI. "They took over the game market after Whifflely went under." Quackerjack gave the things in Bushroot's hands a glare. "What are you doing with those…things?" He asked.

Bushroot gave Quackerjack a steady look. "Megavolt and I saved some police from Dingo. He was raiding a sports store and stealing gym equipment. The cops tried to stop him but…well you know that right hook his has."

Quackerjack was still frowning at the things in Bushroot's hands. "And?"

"Well, the cops were so grateful that they gave us four of these things. They even come with a free game. Something called Virtuimon." Bushroot said.

"You don't think there's anything suspects about that?" Quackerjack asked. "Do you know how much those things are worth?"

"Not as much as they used to be after…you know." Bushroot said. 'They really dropped the price on them. And Megavolt already though there was something funny about them, so he took them apart and studied them. He said they look clean. Nothing wrong with them at all." Bushroot held out the red one. "Here, it's for you."

Quackerjack trembled in rage. "That…is a video game."

Bushroot frowned.

"Reggie, I hate video games!" Quackerjack resisted the urge to slap the thing out of Bushroot's hand. Bushroot didn't mean any harm. "You know that! I hate Whiffle boy! I hate Aix even more! I hate them all! Children sit in front of them all day! Getting fat and lazy and pale like slugs when they should be outside playing! What about my toys! No one plays with my toys because they're caught up in those things!" Quackerjack started to jump up and down and tug on the ends of his hat. He couldn't help it. Video games just made him so mad!  
>"I never agreed with Robert in helping those WBI bastards, and I sure as hell don't like Aix! Virtuimon? <em>What crap<em>!"

Bushroot frowned at him. "It's a good game, Quackerjack. It's not like Whiffle Boy at all. It's so much more detailed and interesting. It even has an actual story, not just walking around shooting things." Bushroot walked past his angered friend and placed the red Porti. "I understand that you like your old toys. I know that, but you can't live in the past all the time. There are more than one ways to have fun." Bushroot placed a hand on Quackerjack's shoulder. "Relax. Just because people like video games doesn't eliminate the need for real toys."

Quackerjack huffed and gave the device a killing glare. Bushroot sighed. "I'll come back when you're in a better mood."

"I was in a perfect mood until I saw that!" Quackerjack hissed. Bushroot shook his head and let himself out the door.

Quackerjack controlled himself for a good ten minutes, then he grabbed the Porti up and threw it violently against the wall with a mighty roar of rage.

"That felt good!" Mr. Banana Brain said.

_ Maybe Bushroot is right. We should try it before we condemn it._

"This time I'm on Mr. Banana Brain's side!" Quackerjack huffed back to his worktable and began to paint his horse. After a few hours he felt better.

* * *

><p>"I think those things are haunting us." Mr. Banana brain announced as Quackerjack and he walked into the greenhouse, where the rest of the team had been hanging…and playing those damn games. For the past week his three teammates had been playing those Porti things in their spare time, locked and focused on those little screens like zombies. It was frustrating.<p>

Megavolt looked up from his yellow Porti and shook his head. "You really should try this, Quackerjack. It's a pretty good way to kill a few hours."

"Hours of you lives you'll never get back." Quackerjack sneered.

"Studies agree that work and all play can cause stress and shorten your lifespan." The Liquidator smiled up from his own blue Porti and smiled at Quackerjack. "You need to take life less seriously, Quacky."

"Me? Serious?" Quackerjack laughed. Nothing, not even his friend's obsession with the Things could keep him down.

"Have you tried yours at all, Quackerjack?" Bushroot asked.

"Hell no."

"You really should." Megavolt said.

"Hell no, again."

"Hehehehe, bet you can't figure it out." Megavolt challenged.

"What's to figure out? It's a video game!" Quackerjack snorted. "A baby could figure them out!"

"Yeah right. This isn't Whiffle Boy, Quackerjack. It's a lot more complicated than that." Megavolt said.

"Uh huh. Right! Oh look, Megs! A flying pig!" Quackerjack pointed behind Megavolt, who jumped a little bit.

"What? Where?" Megavolt turned around. When he saw no pigs he turned around with a frown. "That's not funny, Quacky."

"See! Your brain is rotting from that game! Soon you won't remember your own name."

"It's Megavolt." Megavolt said.

"You just wait!" Quackerjack said.

"I still bet that you can't figure out this game." Megavolt said.

"Really? How much?" Quackerjack said with a sneer.

"Hmmm, ten bucks?" Megavolt said.

Quackerjack, who once could spend hundreds of dollars on toys back when he actually had a home, considered. Could he come up with that if he lost? Wait, he, lose a game? Pleease.

"Deal." Quackerjack shook his rat friend's hand.

"If you can't get to the third temple in a week, you own me ten bucks." Megavolt said. "I'll even let you ask the rest of us for advice, but only once per friend and only three questions."

"Oh, I love it when the games get all ruley. Rules are just another word for challenges!" Quackerjack grinned.

"Uh huh, yeah." Megavolt grinned. "You'll be begging me for help soon!"

"Yeah right! The flying pig is back!" Quackerjack pointed. To his disappointment Megavolt didn't look.

"That doesn't work twice, Quackerjack."

"Give it a few hours, and then you'll forget!" Quackerjack laughed. Inwardly, though, he felt a bit sick.

He was going to have to play a video game.

Yuck.

* * *

><p>Later that night Quackerjack was glaring at the red thing on his desk with pure loathing in his eyes. The Things huge, single screen seemed to glare back at him with a malevolent green glow. The Thing was hateful, just hateful! Still, if he didn't get up his nerve to play this stupid thing then he'd lose his bet with Megavolt, and Quackerjack hated to lose.<p>

"Alright, take it one baby step at a time. First, pick up the Thing and turn it on…where the hell is the one switch?" Quackerjack gingerly picked up the Thing and examined it. Oh, there was the on/off switch. After a taking a deep breath, Quackerjack flicked the switch from off to on.

Quackerjack snorted when he saw thing Thing's Aix logo bounce on the screen with a happy little ding noise. "Okay, the noise is at least not as annoying as the Whiffledork theme…" Quackerjack continued to watch as the styles A that looped into an X disappeared and was replaced by a spiral with the words Freaky Games appeared. That made Quackerjack snort again. Video game developers were getting weirder and weirder. All of a sudden the screen flickered and a small box appeared. The screen flashed once and something with a huge maw appeared, teeth gaping and mouth opened wide. Startled, Quackerjack nearly dropped the Thing. He watched, taken aback, as the camera backed up to reveal a turtle like being, squatting on all fours, with huge spikes on its shell and a horn on its head. It continued to back away and a another creature, a huge creature with the long neck and head of a snake and a dinosaur like body, almost akin to a sauropod, stalked into the screen. The two beings faced each other, and with a huge artificial screech the two rushed at each other, and the screen went dark.

Quackerjack blinked. "Well…I already have no idea what is going on." He muttered as the title screen finally came up. Said title screen depicted a rather nervous looking young duckling standing beside a small creature that looked almost like a smaller, two legged dinosaur, but with a fiery mane and tail.

"Aww…that…that…that's the cutest thing I've seen in my life." Quackerjack said. He held up Mr. Banana Brain. "Don't you agree?"

"No way!"

"Yeah, well, you're an old sourpuss anyway." Quackerjack put down his doll and finally pushed the start button, which brought up a menu. Deciding not to bother with the dumb options, who had time for that? Quakerjack instead immediately pushed the start button and sighed when a elderly duck appeared on the screen and stated to yark at him about Virtuimon, which apparently in this little game "world" were creatures that live side by side with people and blah blah blah, yack yack yack, good grief not even Wifflebore was this long winded! After the annoying old duck got done telling Quackerjack about the Virtuimon being reflections of the inner soul or some such pseudo psychological or pseudo enlightened malarkey, Quackerjack finally got to a screen that wanted his name, even though the still confused looked young duckling on the screen didn't look a thing like Quackerjack.

"Oh! Never got to use my own name on Whiffle Boy! Let's see…just call myself Jack in this I suppose. Why not?" Quackerjack smiled a bit as he typed in the name. Okay, so many there was more to this then Whiffle Boy…but then again that wasn't hard.

To Quackerjack's annoyance, the game now wanted him to name his "rival". Good lord would this thing not let him play? In his annoyance Quackerjack chose to name the "rival" Whiffle. It seemed appropriate. After a bit more snooze inducing babble from the old duck the game really began. He saw the image of the little duckling shrink and finally became an eight bit sprit on a screen.

"This is taking an absurd amount of time." Quackerjack tapped his foot. "Why do they even like this?" He stared down at the image of the duckling, which was now sitting in a virtual town…thing. At least Quackerjack guessed it was a town. Those looked like buildings when seen from overhead. Quackerjack frowned and moved the directional pad around a bit, and the duckling moved. Nothing shot at him. He kept frowning. That was odd. Shouldn't things be shooting at him?

This was going to take a bit…

* * *

><p>It took Quackerjack a good ten minutes to figure out that the game wanted him to go to a hilly area with a stone, where apparently he was supposed to "chose his destiny", or some such nonsense. All that really happened was the old duck from the beginning, whom Quackerjack was beginning to hate with a passion, and his "rival", which Quackerjack was also beginning to hate for the downright rude lines associated with him, showed up. A few more tedious lines of dialogue later and now Quackerjack had to choose one of four little creatures.<p>

The first creature was a tiny turtle, like a baby form of the one from the beginning. It had a small horn on its nose, little bitty flippers, and goofy expression. Quackerjack just couldn't pick it based on the expression. The second creature was a small sprout, a sprout that looked a lot like Bushroot. Quackerjack considered it for a few moments, and then decided to look all of the things. The second looked like a small, depressed looking hawk, with lighting coming from its feathers. Once again, Quackerjack just couldn't pick it. It looked far too sad. Quackerjack looked at the last creature, and grinned. It was the adorable fire thing from the title screen! He decided to go with this one. It was cute.

After this Whiffle the rival chose the turtle, which Quackerjack snorted at. A goofy looking critter for a goof! Nice. Whiffle challenged Quackerjack, who scoffed a bit. Now, even though he hated the game, Quackerjack had played Whiffle Boy before, mostly during testing for Robert. He had no problem telling the rest of world how terrible it was, even though he was the only one who thought that. So, when Whiffle challenged him to a battle, Quackerjack assumed that the mindless shooting was to start now. Instead, what he got a strange menu screen with the words "Fight" "Item" "VMon" and "Run" on the screen below a back view of his little lion/lizard/fire thing and his rival's dumb turtle thing facing his creature.

"Okay…let's see…"

About thirty minutes later and Quackerjack was ready to grind the entire Thing, game and all, in a blender on high. Why was this so damn hard! It seemed that he just couldn't win any of the battles, even with the easy menu based battle system. Oh yeah, he liked it a lot more then the shooting of Whiffley, at least this system required some thought. However, despite getting past the lake and the mountain trail to the first "temple", apparently the game's entire goal was to fight and beat the masters of these temples, for what true reason Quackerjack still really didn't understand, he still struggled with it. Oh sure, his little friend, whom Quackerjack had decided to nickname Virty, for lack of anything better to call it, was good at the normal enemies he was coming across, but the second time he faced his "rival" Quackerjack was again trounced, and even harder this time. Apparently the turtle could now spit water at him, which the fiery creature that Virty was just couldn't handle that well. It was very frustrating.

What was even more frustrating was the temple itself. Inhabited entirely by people with huge rock Virtuimon, whose blows took care of little Virty in about a single stroke, the place seemed impossible.

It was time to ask one of his friends for help. Not Megavolt, he'd just gloat. Bushroot would probably be the best. He'd probably be the nicest about this. So, he put the game system in his pocket and started towards Bushroot's greenhouse.

As he traveled he couldn't help but take out the game again and continue to play around with it. He thought that if he just fought those little enemies that sprang from the grass he might get it! He was reluctant to admit that the game had him stuck and stumped. However, it also was surprisingly addictive. It was amazing how much even he wanted to keep it up. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Was he…starting to like this? Would this be a betrayal of his most closely hold principles? Was he a sell out now?

_Just because you're horizons are broadening does not mean you're a sellout._

"Maybe…but I still think this will rot your brain."

_ A lot of things can rot a brain if taken to the extreme. Doesn't mean it is all bad. Just think, Quakerjack, if you took this hatred of video games to the extreme. What would you be? What kind of terrible extremist would you be?_

"I don't want to talk about it."

_Very well._

Quackerjack tried to put it out of his mind. It didn't matter…it didn't.

Perhaps if he had been paying attention he would have noticed that something was wrong at the greenhouse. Usually there would be some sort of noise as Bushroot interacted with his plants. Quackerjack barged in through the door, as the place was practically a second home to him by now. He was almost knocked down by a frantically barking Spike. This finally tore his eyes away from the little screen.

"Whoa Spike! What's wrong buddy?" He placed a hand on the trap's head. Spike whined and nudged him, running off to the other end of the greenhouse. Quackerjack stuffed the still active game into his pocket and went after Spike, who was jumping up and down in a corner of the greenhouse.

Quackerjack rushed over and looked down at the three discarded Portis on the ground. A yellow one, a blue one and green ones. He knew them. They belonged to his friends.

"What the-"Quackerjack started to say, then he heard something shuffling behind him. He turned just in time to see a flash of light, then, nothing.

* * *

><p>"Nyaaaaa? Nya!"<p>

Quackerjack groaned and opened his eyes. It must be stormy or something. The sky was an ugly grey color…wait…what was that bouncing beside him?

Quackerjack turned his head and gasped. Right beside him was small, round bipedal dinosaur, with a small mane made entirely of fire. It had a rounded, adorable nose and two big grey eyes. It had a long, tufted tail, the tuft at the end also made of fire. It was reminiscent of a lion's tail. It had two pointed ears that swiveled around towards him. It also had a little tooth sticking out of the corner of its lower lip. It was very cute.

"What?" Quackerjack said.

"Ny!" The little thing cooed and cuddled up to him, hugging him with all the enthusiasm of a toddler. It rubbed its head against Quackerjack's shoulder, still cooing. All of a sudden Quackerjack recognized it.

"Virty?" He asked. The little thing cooed happily and bounced around, nodding in agreement. "Huh…wait…if you're here then…" Quackerjack looked around and found himself somewhere in what appeared to be badly pixilated mountains. The same mountains he had been training Virty in before he entered Bushroot's greenhouse in the real world.

"Noooo! I'm in the game!" Quackerjack moaned as he tugged the ends of his hat. "I can feel my brain melting as we speak!"

"Auuu?" Virty looked at him, head cocked. The creature's lip began to tremble and a little tear formed on his face.

"Huh?" Quackerjack looked down at the upset Virtuimon. "Oh…dang it." Quackerjack patted the thing on the head. "I don't mean it that way, Virty. It's just that…well…" Quackerjack smiled at it. "I like you, you know. You're very cute."

This was enough to cheer it up, and Virty gave Quackerjack another hug. Quackerjack smiled. When you meet the things in person they weren't bad at all. Virty was downright adorable.

"Well, what do you say me and you get a look around, okay?" Quackerjack stood up, and Virty gave a little squeal of joy and scrambled up to perch happily on his shoulder. Quackerjack patted him on the head.

_There has to be a way out of here! The others could be in trouble._

Yes, that was true. Still, it was hard to be upset with Virty around. The thing was a bundle of joy and energy. Just the kind of playmate that Quackerjack liked. He started in what he thought was the general direction of the last patch of grass he had been training Virty in. It wouldn't be that hard even from here he could see the little row of rocks that pretty much consisted of the liner path through the mountains towards the first temple.

He had only gone a few steps when a big mouthed, scaly thing, like an orange crocodile with a huge rounded mouth and a pair of useless looking bat wings, burst from the grass and howled at him. Virty snarled and leaped in between Quackerjack and the gator/bat monster. To Quackerjack's amusement and astonishment a small box bounced in front of him out of thin air. It was the battle menu box.

"Er…okay…do I touch it?" Quackerjack tried to poke the box, but he couldn't seem to reach it. "Alright, that's not going to work…voice command maybe? Fight." To Quackerjack's pleasure the box changed to attack list. Virty had only three attacks: Nip, Sneer, and Cinder. "Virty, Cinder." To Quackerjack's pleasure Virty obeyed and shot a small glowing cinder at the gator/bat. The enemy trembled, and Quackerjack saw a little bar jump up beside the thing's head, which decided to about half a meter. The gator/bat recovered and lunged at Virty with its claws. To Quackerjack's astonishment Virty didn't even try to dodge, but instead took the blow, which took mostly all of his health.

"Virty! What are you doing! Why are you just standing there?" Quackerjack jumped a bit in astonishment. Virty gave him a confused look while the other monster just stood there as if waiting for something. "Oh, just Nip it and finish it off!" Virty jumped back towards his foe and gave it a smart nip on the nose. The gator thing howled and disappeared in a flash of pinging bits.

Quackerjack stared at Virty as it bounced a bit in joy. "You know, I think I just discovered your biggest weakness, little buddy."

Virty looked up and him and cocked his head. "Nyaaa?"

"Look, you can't just stand around waiting for your opponent to attack you. You need to at least dodge them!" Virty looked confused, so Quackerjack smiled and placed a hand on the little monster's shoulder. "Don't worry. If anyone can teach you basic dodging maneuvers, then it's a clown!"

Virty cooed in an affectionate manner.

* * *

><p>"Alright buddy, dodge ball time!" Quackerjack was thankful that his toys had survived the trip here. He grinned at the still cooing Virty, who seemed eager to try this out. Quackerjack tossed a ball at Virty, who attempted to dodge. Virty managed to dodge two balls before Quackerjack had pelted the little thing with five swift strokes, flattening the thing against a wall. Quackerjack grinned and bounced over to his Virtuimon, and dragged him to his feet.<p>

"Nice try, little guy!"

Virty looked a little shocked. The eagerness in his coo went down a few notches.

* * *

><p>"Keep up! You have to do this for hours in the circus! Hours Virty!"<p>

Virty moaned a bit as he followed Quackerjack across the mountain river, jumping from identical rock to identical rock at a frightening pace. It was especially hard for the fire monster, as he was very much afraid of water. Quackerjack didn't seem to realize this, or simply didn't care in favor of his brilliant training program.

Virty screeched at his hind claws slipped on the rocks and nearly fell into the water. He gazed down at the water as he trembled over the edge, moaning in terror. A hand reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him back. Virty looked up to see Quackerjack grinning at him.

"Don't worry, little guy. I got you." Quackerjack said.

Virty smiled at Quackerjack in joy. His master wouldn't let him fall!

* * *

><p>"The key to a limber body is lots and lots of dancing."<p>

Virty stared at Quackerjack in disbelief.

"Look, it's about flexibility. The same muscles you use to dance can be used in combat. You need to build your strength. Now, step to the right like this…"

Virty followed Quackerjack's moves, still with a puzzled look on his face.

* * *

><p>"Alright, now. Cinder!" Quackerjack bellowed as he threw a ball into the air. Virty growled and fired his cinders at the ball as it passed over his head. He pegged it. More balls flew through the air and Virty shot each one down as they passed over head, all save one. The last one sailed over Virty's head, and almost reached the ground.<p>

Virty hissed and a stream of fire flew from his mouth, incinerating the ball.

Quackerjack stared as another text box appeared: "Virty has learned Firebreath."

"I am never going to get used to that."

* * *

><p>"Are you tired?"<p>

Virty looked up from the ground and nodded. The poor thing looked exhausted. His little fires were starting to burn lower, especially on the one on his tail. His ears were drooping and his eyes were following his ears in the droop.

"Aww, I guess I worked you a bit hard today…at least I think it's still today. It hard to tell time when the sun doesn't move…in fact I don't think there even is a sun." Quackerjack sighed and sat down next to his Virtuimon. He grinned and started to stroke Virty's mane. "I want to go home, Virty."

Virty cooed and started to rub against Quackerjack's hand. Quackerjack smiled. "I wish you could see it, buddy. There's a burning ball of flame that travels around the world each day…at least that's what it looks like. Actually the world travels around it, but…anyway. At night it's replaced by a white ball. We call it the moon. We have things like cars and planes and boats…and food. I wonder what will happen if I can't find food…will I starve? And my friends. My friends are out there somewhere; I just wish I knew where. I wish I know what to do…"

Virty sighed and cuddled up next to Quackerjack. How could he make this better? The poor Virtuimon was so happy with Quackerjack, but he could tell that his friend was missing his real home, this other place that was out of Virty's comprehension. He didn't know what to do either.

"I need to find a way back, Virty. I need to get home. I…suppose we could try for that whole temple thing? I can't think of anything else to try…"

Virty purred in happiness. His master was staying to play with him!

He was so happy!

* * *

><p>"You think you're ready?"<p>

"Nya!" Virty jumped up and down nodding.

"Then it's Playtime." Quackerjack grinned at the badly pixilated door to the first temple. He placed a hand on the door, but to his annoyance he found himself literally warped into it, instead of it opening like a normal door.

"Okay, there's another thing I'm never going to get used to." Quackerjack said. He looked around and noticed a man standing in right in front of him. He looked normal enough, save for the vague and expressionless look on the duck's bill. There was no emotion there, no feelings of happiness or sadness or even plain normal boredom. There was nothing there. Nothing at all. It gave Quackerjack the creeps.

Ignoring the feeling of heebie jeebies, Quackerjack walked up to the expressionless duck and said "Hey, where's the boss here?"

"Welcome to the Earth Temple. Here you'll face Earth Virtuimon. They're strong against…" To Quackerjack's irritation another text box appeared in the air, the text was familiar to Quackerjack as he had already read this part back in the real world. He sighed and tried to talk to the other again, but the text box just repeated.

Quackerjack decided to move on. There was obviously nothing to learn here. He walked forwards past the stone pillars, as well as passing the two foes he had already defeated when he had been playing in the real world. He focused on the small pedestal that the leader of this place was standing on. He remembered that this guy had two very high level rock monsters.

"Alright." Quackerjack said as he and Virty got on the pedestal. "This time I going to beat you." Quackerjack ignored the text box that appeared this time. Instead he studied his foe. The leader of this temple was a mole, a small, stout mole wearing brown suspenders, a white shirt, and brown work pants. Finally the text box ended, and from behind the mole a huge rock monster appeared.

In many ways this Virtuimon was like the mole in appearance. It had a long mole nose and long mole claws and small mole eyes. However it also had three vertical lines of razors running down its back, which whirled around on its back. The thing swiped at Virty with its long claws, a blow that previously had taken the poor little guy down in one blow.

This time, however, Virty snarled and leaped easily out of the way, the slash didn't even graze his long tail. Quackerjack grinned. It had worked!

"Firebreath!" Quackerjack bellowed, and Virty blew his long line of fire at the mole Virtuimon, which trembled. The health bar for the thing appeared and decreased by a third. Now it was once again the foe's turn, and it whipped its tail at Virty, but Virty dodged easily again. Quackerjack repeated his command, and Virty blew more fire at the mole. The health bar dropped again. However, to Quackerjack's annoyance a text box appeared. Again.

"Lord Earthen used Red Stone. 150 Health is added to foe!"

"What! That's not fair!" Quackerjack snarled.

"Nyaaaa!" Virty agreed.

"Come on, Virty! Firebreath!" Virty nodded at Quackerjack and seemed to put a little more behind the attack this time. To Quackerjack's pleasure the fire now took off half the enemies' health bar. The next blow from the mole was dodged as well. Quackerjack grinned, this was easy! One more Firebreath did it. Quackerjack grinned.

His grin wilted a tad when he saw the next one. It was huge, a beast whose head scrapped the ceiling, and it was made entirely out of smooth, flawless green glass. Its mouth was primitive; merely two hook like protrusions from where its head was supposed to be. The rest of its body was long and snakelike, with two little waving paws about five feet down from its head. Two more little feet were much further down, around the tail area. The thing lunged at Virty, who jumped and slid around to its back, where Virty administered a little more fire to the thing's head. The glass snake went for Virty, who jumped again, and the snake's hook's collided with its own back. The health bar decreased even further, and one more Firebreath took the snake down.

Virty gave a little cry of joy and leaped towards Quackerjack, who grinned and hugged the little guy. He then gasped when Virty began to flicker and blink. A handy text box appeared again: "The power of your soul is flowing through Virty! He is changing!" Quackerjack blinked at the text box. What in the world was it talking about?

"Virty! What's happening to you?" Quackerjack stared as the image of something else started to overlap his little friend. Quackerjack gasped as the other thing's image blinked fully into existence, totally eliminated his friend.

Standing there in Virty's place was a creature very much like the original Virty, but much taller, with long arms and even shaper claws. Its red mane of flame had extended, and a long tuft of it had grown on the top of Virty's head, this long mane of fire hair extended down between the shoulder blades. Two short, saber fangs had appeared on the top of its mouth, and its snout was now longer. The thing gave Quackerjack an adoring look and purred at him.

"Virty?" Quackerjack asked. The beast nodded.

"So…you can change form…that is so cool!" Quackerjack hugged his Virtuimon again, who purred happily.

Quackerjack had been ignoring the text boxes that had appeared after Virty's transformation, but he remembered that they had said something about going down the mountain to the sea, towards the next temple. Since he had no idea what to do next, and having no other option, Quackerjack thought that this was good advice.

_We have to find a way out of here._

"I know Boss, but do you have a better idea?" Quackerjack asked the air. Virty cocked his head and raised his eyebrow at Quackerjack. "Oh, I wasn't talking to you, just the Headboss." Virty kept looking at Quackerjack funny.

_Unfortunately, no. Let's go. And stop talking aloud to me. Even the virtual dragon lion thing thinks you are nuts._

Quackerjack nodded. "Come on, Virty, let's get moving."

Virty jumped around in excitement, and the two turned and left the temple.

* * *

><p>"I hate this maze of rocks! Hate hate hate!" Quackerjack snarled as he turned down yet another turn in the dang mountain maze he was now trapped in. You'd think when the game said "path down the mountains" it would be an actual path, not a maze!<p>

Virty purred at him and rubbed his head against Quackerjack's shoulder in an attempt to comfort his master. Quackerjack grinned and patted him on the head. They had been jumped by several different monsters, but Virty had taken care of them all. It almost made Quackerjack's earlier frustration with the game seem silly. Apparently all you really needed to do was level the silly thing up until it could overpower everything around it. That was funny to Quackerjack, for some reason.

As they turned the next bend in the boring rock maze, Quackerjack noticed that they now were in a long hallway, with a dark area in front of them. Hoping this symbolized the exit, Quackerjack picked up the pace. He passed through the portal, and to his relief he found himself in a new chamber. In fact, this "chamber" was not really a room, but a representation of a clearing or maybe a valley. It was kind of hard to tell with a game environment. Quackerjack managed two steps before he was frozen to the floor.

"What the-"

"GRRRRR!" Virty's mane stood on end and sparked. He was staring down at the other end of the chamber/valley thing, and Quackerjack followed his Virtuimon gaze. He gasped at what he saw. Standing in a circle, amongst a pile of stones that looked very much like Stonehenge in England, was a group of dark robed figures holding reaper's scythes. There were several Virtuimon herded in the center of the circle. One by one the reapers held their scythes over the Virtuimon.

A text box appeared: "To the Dark One…we offer these beasts!" There was a flash of flickering screen, and the Virtuimon in the center vanished to nothing.

Quackerjack's mouth was hanging open. "This…this is a children's game…right?"

Another text box: "A child! Get his Virtuimon!"

Assuming that they meant him, as the reaper people were now turned to face him, Quackerjack snorted. "I'm not a kid!...but then again the character in this game was supposed to be a duckling…maybe that's how I look to all of you…or maybe it's just in the script…" Virty was giving him a confused look. "Oh well, who cares! You'll take Virty over my dead body!"

"No one can resist the Profane! Attack!" Said the text box.

"Someone really needs to talk to Aix about their rating system…Virty!" Quackerjack grinned. "Ready for some more Playtime?"

Virty grinned a sharp toothed grin. He stepped forwards as more monsters appeared to challenge him. "Firebreath!" Quackerjack instructed, and Virty shot at the first challenger, a ball of blue spikes with the head of a cat somewhere in the middle, with a tail at the other end. It dropped the thing to half heath, but soon more monsters appeared, a mole creature and a water turtle, and begin to gang up on Virty. Quackerjack had taught the monster how to dodge, and while the training had helped Virty's dodge rate, he was not invincible. The other monsters were ganging up on the poor thing, and Quackerjack was getting worried.

"Hang on, buddy." Quackerjack pulled out his pogo stick and started to bounce over the monsters. He scooped up Virty and began to bounce to the other end of the room. Over the heads of the monsters. Over the heads of the "Profane".

"Weeee! Take that!"

"Hahahahahaha! Jaaack! Having fun! Quackerjack! Quackerjack!"

Quackerjack nearly fell off of his pogo stick. He hadn't used his whole name! Wait…that wasn't a text box! Quackerjack turned his head and once again nearly fell. There, in the background of the still Profane npcs, was a dancing one. It looked like all the others, but was in motion, instead of standing still. Something grey and metallic was flashing near the bottom of this figure's robes. As Quackerjack watched the figure removed its hood, to reveal the grey muzzle of a laughing wolf. Quackerjack's eyes widened. He knew this wolf! But it was impossible!

"Delaine! No! It can't be. You're dead!"

"Hahahahaha! Jack and Owen and Alec! You remember! You remember! Here is the Metalfoot! Where is the Throwback? Hahahahaha!"

Quackerjack closed his eyes and looked away. "You're not real! Just a bunch of bits and bytes! Not real!"

"You want real! Go to the truck by the beach! Find the Glitch! But it will eat you, Jacky! Eat you! Eat you! Then the box will be all ours! Metalfoots and Throwbacks! Ha!"

Quackerjack pogoed through the black portal on the other side of the room, and the wolf's mad laugh was cut off. Quackerjack didn't even pause. He kept bouncing away, his eyes closed in terror.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack finally came to a stop about three miles…game miles, away from the mountain. He was too tired to go any further. He collapsed to the ground, still apparently stunned. Virty also hoped off the pogo stick, leaping in terror for his master.<p>

"It couldn't be…it couldn't." Quackerjack didn't even seem to notice Virty, he was too shocked.

_It was him. It was Delly. It was Metalfoot._

"Delly's dead, I was there! That's why Darien…Dar..."

_It wasn't anyone's fault. Not yours. Not Robert's. Not Carl or Aria. No one. It was Delly's decision to look, and to drag Dar into it. He shouldn't have done that. Robert knew that._

"But he's gone! He shouldn't be in a game!"

_I know…why…it makes no sense! _For once Headboss seemed to be at a loss.

"He knew their names! Our grandfathers!" Quackerjack shuddered. He finally noticed Virty, who was now making a sound similar to a rusty teakettle. Quackerjack hugged Virty close, as much to comfort himself as to comfort his Virtuimon.

"I'm sorry. I'm scaring you, aren't I? But I just saw a ghost, Virty! The ghost of an old friend I thought was dead!" Virty purred and cuddled up against Quackerjack, who was starting to feel a little better. He looked down at Virty and smiled.

"Delly said that if I found a truck on the beach I'd find my way home…but he also said something about a glitch…what do you think, buddy? Should we risk it?"

Virty seemed to think, and then he nodded vigorously.

Quackerjack smiled. "Thanks for this. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Quackerjack stared at the truck on the beach. It looked like just a normal white truck. Two doors. Flatbed. You could find a hundred trucks like this in St. Canard. But this truck…was different. He could feel something…something wrong.<p>

_It's corrupt._

It is corrupt." Agreed Quackerjack.

_Don't do this Billy._

"Billy's dead. I must." Quackerjack said. Virty was giving him an odd look again. Quackerjack smiled. He walked over to the truck and touched it.

Instantly the world began to warp. The pixels that made up this artificial place began to flash and scatter, some grew to the size of dinner plates, others shrank, and others changed colors. An awful sound filled the air. . Like the sound of metal scraping. The sound of words forming in the air, but to slow to say anything. Yes, there was a word there, but Quackerjack couldn't figure it out.

The pixels begin to condense, became somewhat solid. Like a half finished Virtuimon, a creature of small haphazardly shaped boxes. Yes, there was a form, but like the sound it made it was too distorted to make sense to Quackerjack's brain. It was like those creatures he had read about long ago in his father's horror books (which he hadn't been allowed to read, but had done so anyway). A form so terrible and incomprehensible that its true self was unknowable. This was like a piece of something awful and terrible, but unformed in this plane.

And it was staring straight at Quackerjack. It was different from the other inhabitants of this world. In this world things looked at you, but they didn't see you. The monsters, the people, none of them saw you. Except Virty. Virty had seen him. So had Delly.

And so did this.

It didn't just _look_ at Quackerjack. It _saw_ him. And Quackerjack was afraid.

It shifted. It came. And Quackerjack was frozen. But Virty wasn't. Virty hurled himself at his foe with a roar and a blast of fire. The Glitch seemed to recoil and hiss. It reached forwards and swung at Virty, who dodged. The corrupted pixels attempted to wrap themselves around the Virtuimon's throat, but Virty was slippery as an eel. Firebreath after Firebreath was shot at the Glitch, but it seemed to cause little damage. Finally, Virty made a small slip up, and the Glitch caught him. It descended on Virty like a swarm of bees, and Virty squalled in pain.

"No!" Quackerjack pulled out chattering teeth and tossed them at the Glitch. They disappeared in a flash. Quackerjack didn't hesitate anymore. He grabbed Virty's arm and dragged him out of the Glitch. Quackerjack pulled his Virtuimon behind him and shoved, getting him out of the way. He didn't notice that the Glitch had turned its attention to Quackerjack. The Glitch reached for him, and took him.

Quackerjack screamed this time, as the Glitch washed over him. He could see his skin started to pixelate, and break. He felt like he was being torn apart. Being split and absorbed. Becoming part of the Glitch. It was eating him, just like Delly had said. He could feel his mind start to break. Quackerjack fell to his knees, and then even his knees gave. He dropped to the ground, his very essence disappearing. It…didn't hurt anymore, but he felt so weak. So…less.

Quackerjack looked up and saw Virty began to flicker. He closed what remained of his eyes. Some friend he was! What a failure!

"Gaaaaoooo!"

Quackerjack opened his eyes and gasped. Virty hadn't been absorbed! He had changed again! He was almost as tall as Quackerjack now. He stood proudly on four huge, stout legs with large claws at the end. His mane had fully formed, huge and fiery. His face was now long and draconic, with even longer teeth. Fire tufts had formed at his elbows and ankles, and the flames blazed brightly. Virty roared again and his tail shot out behind him, flaring up like a rocket. The fires on his legs burst to life as well, and Virty shot at the Glitch as if launched by a rocket. Virty collided with the Glitch, swiping with his paws and biting with his fangs, totally independently of Quackerjack, and all on his own. With mighty swings and bursts of fire, Virty pushed the Glitch back, and off Quackerjack. Almost at once Quackerjack felt himself returning, and he felt stronger. Quackerjack struggled to his feet and watched as Virty beat down on the Glitch, which shrank and shrank, and finally was gone.

"Virty! You did it!" Quackerjack smiled at Virty, who roared and blew fire into the air. The world's pixels returned to normal, to Quackerjack's relief. There was a popping sound, and Quackerjack turned around to find a small hole where the truck had been, a swirly hole like a drain.

"Well, either that is the way home, or a black hole that will crush me into a tiny paste! I think I'll chance it!"

"Aroo!" Virty reared and placed his paws on Quackerjack's shoulder, as if trying to keep him from going.

Quackerjack smiled and hugged his Virtuimon, one last time he believed. "Virty, I understand. You want me to stay. I'd love to stay with you, but I don't belong here! My home is the real world. And my friends could be in danger."

At the mention of his friends Virty growled savagely. "Oh, I see. Resentful of them are you?"

Virty nodded vigorously.

"Virty, you risked your existence to help me, right?" Virty nodded at Quackerjack, who gently stepped back and placed a hand under the monster's chin. "You care about me, that's why you saved me, and that's why I saved you! That's what friends do. But Virty, the same thing you feel for me, right now, is the same way I feel about my friends in the real world! If I abandon them then what kind of friend would I be?"

Virty nodded, and then placed his paws back on the ground. He grunted and nudged Quackerjack towards the hole. Quackerjack patted him on the nose, and then started to walk towards the hole. Virty followed close on his heels. Quackerjack paused.

"You think you're coming with me?" Quackerjack asked. Virty nodded. "Okay, I guess we could try it!"

Quackerjack and Virty stepped through the hole together. All they saw was light.

* * *

"Get back here, you little beast!"

Quackerjack blinked at what he saw. He was back in Bushroot's greenhouse, and he was greeted by an odd sight. A rooster wearing a red shirt and blue jeans was chasing poor Spike around the greenhouse, firing at the poor trap with a strange device in his hands.

"Stop that!" Quackerjack bellowed.

"Huh?" The rooster turned. "Didn't I get rid of you? No matter. You'll be back in that game world soon enough!" The rooster aimed the weapon at Quackerjack.

"Gaaaaoo!" Virty, who had been seen, despite the fact that he was a huge yellow and red fire beast, jumped over Quackerjack and collided with the rooster. With a single sweep of his paw Virty knocked the device out of the rooster's hands. Virty then stuck his huge maw in the rooster's face and growled.

"A Virtuimon! Impossible!" The rooster gasped.

"Who are you? And what is this?" Quackerjack picked up the strange device. It looked…familiar.

The rooster laughed. "You don't recognize me, Quackerjack? I'm Aloysius J. Mandelbum! From Whiffle Boy Industries! And that's the Molecular Digitizer!"

"Wait wait…Molecular…this is the thing you used to put people into the Wiffledork game-"

"Don't you DARE insult the name of Whiffle Boy, you idiot!" The rooster's eyes bugged out in anger. He seemed to forget the fact that Virty was still sitting on his chest. "You out of date, backwards fool!"

Virty snarled at Aloysius, who glared at the monster. "I never would have thought that you would betray Whiffle Boy like this! You, Quackerjack!"

"WBI's dead, just like my toy company." Quackerjack said with a hint of sadness. "But this…you put my friends in the game world, right?"

"I knew that the four of you would probably come after me if I went forward with my plan, so I struck at you first! Plus, I wanted to make sure it still worked!"

"Mind telling me this plan?" Quackerjack asked, wanting to keep the rooster talking as he fiddled with the Molecular Digitizer. He was looking for a reverse switch of some kind. It was pretty obviously that this guy had used it on his friends.

"What do you think? I want justice! Aix tanked WBI after that explosion! It's all their fault! There's and Negaduck's…and yours!"

"…me?"

"You're the one that raised Negaduck's ire, Quackerjack, with that museum of yours! And your stupid company was always holding WBI back! Toys, what garbage! Out of date, stupid plastic trinkets! What kid would want to play with your idiotic wooden crap?"

Quackerjack stopped fiddling with the device and stared at the man. He was silent for a long while. This man…he sounded so much like Quackerjack when he was taking about video games. Almost identical. It was eerie, and strange, and uncomfortable. It was like hearing a recording of yourself, and Quackerjack wasn't sure he liked what he heard. After staring Quackerjack shrugged and started to fiddle with the Molecular Digitizer some more.

"So you were going to trap the Aix people in their own games?"

"Exactly. Then Negaduck!"

Quackerjack sighed. "Negaduck doesn't play games."

"Hah, I still would have gotten you and Aix! And to think I almost considered asking you for help."

"You should have asked. I know a really nice mental institution."

"I bet you do, you lunatic."

"I'm not the one sticking people in video games. Talk about mad science!" Quackerjack grumbled. "Besides, I never would have agreed to your plan anyway!"

"Scared?"

Quackerjack glared at the rooster. "I would never do this to another person. Not in this reality!"

Aloysius grumbled, and Quackerjack returned to the Digitizer. This might take a while.

* * *

A few hours later found Quackerjack lining his friends game systems up in a neat little row. He aimed the Digitizer at the yellow one and fired. The thing shook and spat out a very irritated looked Megavolt, who jumped up in anger.

"Who hit me with the game teleporter thing! I'm gonna shock them so bad they'll forget their own names!" Megavolt shouted.

"Over there, under Virty." Quackerjack pointed at the still definite rooster. Virty looked up and nodded at Megavolt.

"Hey! That's a fully transformed Blazeleo! How'd you get him?" Megavolt stared at Virty admiringly.

"Training montage." Quackerjack said smugly. "His name's Virty."

"Virty? How original." Megavolt scoffed.

"Oh yeah? What'd you call yours?"

"…okay, so I named it Bob."

Quackerjack laughed as he fired the Digitizer two more times, making the Liquidator and Bushroot appear. They both seemed fine as well, if a little annoyed.

"Hey guys!" Quackerjack grinned at his friends. "I got a real Virtuimon! Say hello to Virty!" Virty looked over to the four and purred with pride.

"Your affection for this beast is disgusting." Aloysius growled.

"And your criminal record has just landed you a free jail cell! Do not pass go or collect three hundred dollars!" The Liquidator snarled as he took the prisoner from Virty, who was giving the water dog a leery look. "Some restrictions apply, void where prohibited." The Liquidator continued as he dragged Aloysius away.

The other three chuckled a bit and even Virty seemed to be laughing. Then, all of a sudden, the beast flickered in and out, like a bad light. He screamed a bit in pain. Quackerjack rushed to his friend's side.

"Virty! What's wrong?" Quackerjack hugged Virty around the neck, then twisted his head to Bushroot and Megavolt "Guys, what's wrong with him?"

Megavolt studied the weary looking beast. "He's a virtual creature, Quacky. He…he might not be able to survive in our world for long. You have to send him home."

Virty howled in protest, but Quackerjack was nodding in agreement. "Virty, here. Stand next to this Porti…" Quackerjack sighed as Virty shook his head savagely. "Virty, you have to. I don't want you to fade away…look!" Quackerjack waved the Digitizer under Virty's snout. "I bet you I can modify this! I can bring you back to visit! It's not goodbye…not forever! But it will be if you stay! Please, Virty!"

Virty gave his master one last look, and then a rather juicy lick on the face. Virty padded over to the Porti and sat down. Quackerjack gave his friend on last look, and fired the beam at him. Virty vanished in a flash of light, back to the game world from where he came.

"I'm sorry." Bushroot said.

"It's alright. He belongs there." Quackerjack said. Then, something occurred to him. "Bushy? Do you know someone named Metalfoot?"

"Metalfoot? Isn't that the name of the leader of the Profane in the game?" Megavolt asked.

"Yeah, it is. The Profane are the main villains of the story. Why do you ask?" Bushroot asked.

Quackerjack shook his head. He didn't want t think about this. "No reason. None at all."

Quackerjack walked over to the game and picked it up. For a moment he saw his little Virty, in bit form, bouncing up and down on the screen. Then, the image blacked out, and the game returned to its previous form. The little avatar of Quackerjack had been restored, and the game looked normal again. Quackerjack opened the menu and peered at his VMon list. There was Virty, still fully transformed, and still there.

Quackerjack smiled, and saved his game.

* * *

Later that day, Quackerjack was back at his lair. He was looking at a photo. It was an old, yellowed photograph, dating back to the 1900s. Three faces smiled up at him. A duck, very much like himself, dressed in a jester's costume like his own. To the ducks left, with an arm thrown over his shoulder, was a big wolf. A wolf with a metal peg leg. Quackerjack didn't even look at the other figure, to the duck's right. He was only looking at the wolf.

"Metalfoot." Quackerjack shook his head. "Metalfoot…"

_No. Don't think about it_.

"Right. Bad idea…but if Uncle Alan comes back…"

_Talk to Uncle Alan, but don't think of it. This…this is not good to think of. You are unbalanced enough._

"Yes boss."

Quackerjack walked over to his completed wooden horse. He smiled and placed his red Porti next to his beloved toy.

Quackerjack stared at the two. Old and new. Traditional and modern.

Somehow, it didn't seem so wrong anymore. To like video games.

At least sometimes.

Quackerjack turned and went outside. He had games to play. Sometime he would come back to play with Virty, but right now the sun and the wind called, as did the open sky.

* * *

A/N: The Profane, and Metalfoot, have been ideas for this series for a while now, ever since I started it. However, they were not initially going to appear, but I needed something to take the place of Team Rocket. And, since they are tied into Quackerjack's storyline, obviously, it seemed right to have them start to appear.

The idea of the truck and the Glitch comes from two Pokemon rumors. One is that in the old games you could find a Mew by checking under a truck (which never worked for me), and the other was the infamous Missingno. The Glitch is basically Missingno.

No I was not going to put Ash in this. You are welcome. I like the games more, anyway.

Aloysius J. Mandelbum is from the new Darkwing Duck comics, the 2011 annual to be exact. I don't own a copy, but I did manage to skim one. It's on my Christmas list, though.

* * *

_Next time: Gizmoduck. Everyone knows the name. Everyone fears the name. A ruthless metallic killer. What is he doing in St. Canard, and what will Negaduck do when the vicious metal marauder comes to town? And who is this old duck that Bushroot must protect? Find out, next time._


	3. Attack of the Metallic Menace

An Author's Note: I don't know if the Negaverse version of Ducktales qualifies as a crossover, but it doesn't hurt to mention the fact that I don't own Ducktales either. And, although no characters from that series appear, I do mention a certain city from Talespin here. I don't own Talespin. I doubt I could lay claim to Nega-Ducktales either, since Disney came up with the Negaverse as well. Or this Negaverse at least.

Also, I don't recall anyone ever charting the exact geography between Duckburg and St. Canard. So, as usual, I am going to make stuff up. I know I warned about this habit of mine before, but for some reason it keeps surprising and upsetting people.

Enjoy.

Chapter Three

Attack of the Metallic Menace

The lands between Duckburg and St. Canard were rather inhospitable and dangerous, much like the two port cities themselves. Though, between the two it could be said that Duckburg was worse. The fact that the place had been founded by pirates probably contributed to its bad reputation. However, the worst thing that had ever come from Duckburg these days was the occasional drug smuggler and the almost periodical assaults on one Scrooge McDuck's famed Money Bastion, which was said to be more heavily, defended then Fort Knox, and that wasn't a joke. McDuck was supposedly a kindly man, but he didn't skimp on the defenses for his Bastion.

And indeed, it was that tenacity, that desire to protect the money in his Bastion, which created the greatest disaster in history. A disaster not of nature, but of man. A creature so horrible, so terrifying, that all fled in fear.

Gizmoduck.

* * *

><p>The truck stop was situated just a few miles outside St. Canard, and was famous for two things: drunken locals and truck drivers, and bacteria inducing fries that only a fool would approach. Country music played something about a dog, a girl, a truck and then jail. Or maybe it was the other way around. The truck stop was populated with big, tough canines and ducks, and the occasional rodent and a few weasels hanging around drinking beer and trying to look intimidating. A pair of muscle-bound truckers were having an arm wrestling contest, with a few of their fellows cheered them on. There was a dangerous, but somewhat friendly, atmosphere about the place, like an old west saloon in a spaghetti western.<p>

This illusion was both reinforced and shattered at the same time, when the door blew open, and a shadow cast itself across the threshold. It didn't have a cowboy hat, but instead had a visor and helmet. The sound of a squeaking wheel, not that of spurs, echoed through the suddenly silent truck stop. The sound of a beef steak hitting the floor with a dull, greasy thump broke the silence. With the sound of fatty meat hitting the floor, the wheel squeaked, and the individual rolled himself into the truck stop.

The metal suit the duck wore was steel grey, dusty and dinged with wear and damage. It could have at one point been white, but lack of general upkeep had given it a haggard, dirty appearance. The ends of the gauntlets and the area around the wheel were red with rust and grim. Still, despite the overall bad appearance of the suite, several parts of it were shining and obviously greased or oiled. These patches glittering in the sunlight menacingly and it didn't take much imagination to figure out why these spots were the only once taken care of. In the middle of the suit's stomach was a broken television set, and poking out of that set was a hastily installed gun. Once there might have been a symbol on the figure's chest, but the paint had flecked away so much that it really only resembled a smear of red. It wasn't hard to imagine that red as blood.

The truckers, almost all of whom looked like they could take blows from forklifts, gave out a series of rather girly screams. One of the weasels didn't even bother to scream at first, but leaped through the thick glass of a window and scrambled into the sunset, leaving a weasel sized hole in the window. His screams of fear echoed through the air.

The other truckers looked like they were about to follow their compatriot, when the figure's suit suddenly bristled with an assortment of guns, missiles and even a few blades.

"Move and you all are dead. I'm not joking." The voice of the duck was low and deep. It was filled with menace and cruelty, and not a shred of any other type of emotion at all. "You all know who I am."

"Gi-gi-gizmoduck." Someone stammered. Gizmoduck grinned, bearing his teeth.

"Yes." He hissed. "Gizmoduck." There was a low chuckle from the duck. He seemed amused by their fear. "Now, if you answer my question, I might just let this place stand…or not. I'm in a destructive mood today." His smile broadened as the truckers cowered from him. "Now, where is Scrooge McDuck?"

The truckers glanced at each other, puzzled and even more afraid. "McDuck?"

Gizmoduck hissed and shot off a small missile, which erupted into the middle of a table, reducing it to ash. "Yes! Him! Have you been living under a rock? The…" There was another chuckle, and Gizmoduck's tongue shot out, licking the sides of his beak with obvious relish as he spoke these next words. "Former richest duck in the world. I know he passed this way! He's the most recognizable person in the world! Did anyone see him?"

The truckers exchanged glances for a few minutes. Gizmoduck frowned and popped off another missile, which desegregated another table. Everyone jumped and cowered.

"St. Canard!" The owner screamed. "I remember serving an old duck a few days ago! He went towards St. Canard."

Gizmoduck smiled. "Ah. Good." He turned around and began to slowly wheel away. He looked back over his shoulder with a grin. "You have five minutes to run." He exited.

The truckers scrambled for the windows, the doors, and any other exit they could find. Gizmoduck watched them scramble from outside with a sick grin.

"Ah, five minutes, five seconds. Who can tell?" He fired his weapons indiscriminately at the truck stop. Within minutes it was reduced to ash, and without even stopping to check how many had survived, Gizmoduck turned and wheeled away, leaving behind many injured, and many more smoking and blackened, but alive. He really didn't care about the body count; so much as he wanted people to fear him.

The owner, who was among the singed, sighed. The insurance company didn't pay for Acts of Gizmo.

* * *

><p>"We take you back to Gizmo Watch. I'm Tomas Lockjaw, brining you the most current in Gizmo activity. Indeed, the disaster seems to coming towards the fair city of St. Canard at a steady pace of sixty miles per hour coming in from the south, from Duckburg. Residents are urged to report to their nearest evacuation point for extraction. Disaster ready kits are available at all locations for any individuals who have forgotten them in their sheer panic." The reporter's grin was slightly strained as he put his papers down. "And…and…I can't take it anymore! I'm getting out of here before that lunatic gets here! Run! Run! Hide the children! <em>Hide the children<em>!" With that the reporter sped for the exit, papers flying in his wake.

The screen of the television jiggled up and down as the duck holding it jumped out through the broken window of the electronics store. He looked right to left at his fellow looters, who were also fleeing with their catches. He was just about to start up again when he came face to face with an electricity gun.

"Put. The television. Back." A very strained Megavolt said with a glare.

"You wouldn't shoot an innocent civilian!"

"I have been dealing with you thieves since nine in the morning. Yesterday. Right now, as far as I'm concerned you're a thief. Television. Back. Now."

"But-"

"Back. Now." Megavolt said, his whiskers beginning to spark.

"Yessir." The thief turned around and returned the tv." Megavolt sighed as the would be looter ran off. He was getting so sick of this.

"I am sorry, Megavolt. I should have gotten more people out here, but when they heard he was coming half the force decided they needed a vacation." The huge bull sighed heavily as he approached Megavolt.

"I understand Detective Bulba. I'm not looking forward to fighting Gizmoduck myself." Megavolt said. "But, I can't let him tear up my town!"

"And neither can I." Detective Bulba, one of the few cops in St. Canard who was both straight and courageous, nodded at Megavolt. "I need people, people that I don't have. Your friends are the only ones I can trust to stay here and put up any kind of resistance." Bulba's nostrils flared. "Of course, if the citizenry would stop looting for five seconds and evacuate…"

"Hey, Megs!" Quackerjack jumped in front of the two. To Megavolt's irritation the man didn't seem at all tired, not in the least, even though he had been awake as long as Megavolt had. "I think your refrigerator is running! Better go catch it!"

Megavolt turned and to his annoyance saw what appeared to be a refrigerator that had grown legs and was now trying to dart away. Sighing in frustration he gave the legs a gentle zap, which caused the duck who had been taking the refrigerator away to drop in on his own foot. The thief howled in pain and tried to scramble away. Megavolt knew that he should probably feel sorry for him, but he was just so tired…

Bulba shook his head and walked over to the refrigerator, lifting it with barely any evidence of effort. He gave the citizen who had been appropriating the appliance a steady disapproving look. Said citizen scurried away with a mild _eep_.

"Perhaps you should go get some sleep, Megavolt." Bulba was giving Megavolt a concerned look. "You shall be of no use to us if you are this tired."

"You know, I have to agree with him, Megs. You look ready to drop." Quackerjack said with a sympathetic look.

Megavolt rubbed his eyes. "If I take a break now I'll never wake up." He said.

Quackerjack look up at the sky and nodded. "True…but if you try to fight Gizmoduck like this…I don't like that idea."

Megavolt glared at his friend. "How the hell are you able to keep standing!"

"Coffee!" Quakerjack pulled out a cup of steaming coffee from…somewhere and thrust it towards Megavolt. The sheer coffee smell of it nearly floored Megavolt. For some reason he had always hated that smell, even though the rest of the world seemed to love it. "You want some? It's black."

"Er. No thanks." Megavolt noticed that Quackerjack's eyes were kind of twitching a bit. Why hadn't he noticed that before?

"I think that Quackerjack is right." Bulba said with a frown. "You need to get some rest. We can alert you when it's time to fight Gizmoduck."

"We could ask Likky to take time off from the evacuation help to keep an eye out for you! Nothing like water to the face to wake a person up…unless you happen to have coffee!" Quackerjack gulped down his coffee in one gulp. His eyes bugged and he looked like he was going to erupt right then and there.

Megavolt sighed and nodded. "Alright, I get your point. Are you going to be okay here?"

Bulba smiled. 'Yes. We still have until tomorrow. Gizmoduck shouldn't arrive until then."

"He might get here early! He's been known to do that! I know sometimes people treat him like a hurricane or a storm, but he's not! He's a living thing, and he may decide to do something unpredictable and show up early!"

"True, but that just means we need you rested, not on your last legs. We'll talk to the Liquidator and see if he can come with you to play alarm clock. You have to admit it's a better idea." Quackerjack said, his eyes bugging a big.

"I suppose so." Megavolt glared at Quackerjack. "You should come too."

"I should stay and help Bulba!" Quackerjack said. "I have coffee!" He pulled out another steaming cup. Where was he getting them? Megavolt almost didn't want to know.

Megavolt turned and started to trudge away. He almost tripped over his own feet. He really was tired. He turned his head and looked at Quackerjack. "You still own me ten bucks."

"I don't! I won that bet!"

"You won that last battle at 12:02 in the morning, Quackerjack. You lost."

"Okay, even if we were going by that time schedule, and you never said that was the cutoff time, by the way, I still won because your watch is five minutes fast!" Quackerjack objected.

"Whatever, this isn't over but I need to get to sleep. Tell Likky to meet me at the greenhouse." With that Megavolt turned away and resumed his trudge back to the greenhouse.

Bulba watched the rat leave with a concerned expression. When Megavolt first arrived on the scene a few years ago the detective had been wary of him. He hadn't trusted the intentions of a strange electrified rodent, but after several cases that would have never been solved without Megavolt and his friends Bulba was willing to accept the group as a legitimate ally in the fight against crime in St. Canard, a fight that he had to admit that he might be losing. The fact that Gizmoduck was a day away from his city didn't help matters.

Bulba gave his remaining companion a concerned look. He wasn't sure if Quackerjack should have all that coffee. The weird man was starting to tweak out a bit. Still, Quackerjack was very effective as he bounced from looter to looter, bonking people on the head and stopping them for running off with the merchandise.

Bulba took out his radio and spoke into it. "Officer Hannigan. Come in."

"Y-y-yes? I h-h-h-hear you." Came the stuttering voice on the other end of the radio.

Bulba sighed. While he appreciated the fact that Hannigan was willing to stay around and help with the evacuations, he knew that Hannigan was a born coward. The poor man tried, but he was pretty much yellow to the core. Strange for a guy whose first name was Hammerhead, and the fact that goats were notoriously foul tempered people. "Is the Liquidator there?"

"Ye-yes. He and B-b-b-bu-"

"Bushroot." The plant duck apparently had snatched the radio from the stuttering officer. "We both are here helping load the boats with refugees."

"Megavolt was starting to fall asleep on his feet, so we sent him back to your greenhouse. We wanted to know if the Liquidator could go there and stand by in case Gizmoduck comes early."

"A-a-are you sure about that?" Hannigan's panicked voice came from the radio.

"I am positive, Hanny. I have faith that you can take care of it." _As long as Gizmoduck doesn't show up._

* * *

><p>"This! Is! Retarded! RETARDED!"<p>

Negaduck's gang, even Launchpad, cowered from the enraged crime lord, who was even now pacing around his warehouse base, a look of rage on his face.

"I spend years building a gang. Building a reputation as the most violent, the worst, the most evil duck in the universe! And then some jerk with a metal suit was waltzes into the scene and everyone hails him as the next coming of the Anti-Christ! It…it…IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"He does have more missiles on him then most aircraft carriers." Launchpad ventured. "Trust me, I know."

"I don't care if he has a nuke!" Negaduck screamed. "No ninety pound weakling who needs to use a stupid cheating suit to cause chaos deserves the title of villain!"

"Megavolt has powers." Launchpad pointed out. He usually pointed this out when Negaduck started to rant about people with powers, which was often. Sometimes Launchpad thought that Negaduck must have power envy. Launchpad thought that it was immensely funny that the one other "super powered" being out there without actual powers was Quackerjack, and he would also point this out to Negaduck. Negaduck didn't appreciate the comparison. At all.

Negaduck turned and snorted. "Megavolt and the Four Fools are heroes! No villains! Get it through your thick skull, nimrod!" Negaduck jumped over to a case filled with weapons. He stared to pull out everything from missile launchers to switchblades. "Arm up, boys! We're going to war!" Negaducks' face was contorted in an expression that promised pain and terror for Gizmoduck! After all, when he showed up with his army of…as Negaduck was thinking this he turned and found that everyone had fled save Lamont and Launchpad, the latter of whom was staring at him stupidly.

"Oh you knobs! I'll kill all of you as soon as I'm done with Gizmoduck! Come on, you two. Who wants the Uzi?"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, at the docks, Bushroot and Hannigan were hard at work, getting people loaded up into boats that would take them out of the city and hopefully to somewhere safe. Bushroot wasn't sure exactly where the boats were going, but he had heard the name Cape Suzette being mentioned a few times. He hoped it was where they were going. It was almost clear on the other end of the continent going south, in what was generally thought of as cat and bear country, due to the fact that so many felines and ursine people lived there. St. Canard and Duckburg, of course, was generally considered waterfowl country. It was like that all around America. Different regions were just more inclined towards different types of people.<p>

Bushroot walked up and down the line of edgy people, making sure that they kept the line moving, and that they didn't panic and start a riot. A part of him really wished that the Liquidator was still here, and not Officer Hannigan. Hannigan was also keeping an eye out and helping, but he also kept trembling and shaking, and he made the citizens nervous.

"Lad, is this line going to be moving anytime soon?" Bushroot jumped a bit as a ratty old cane was thrust into his path by an elderly duck with a worried expression. Bushroot frowned. The old duck looked familiar. He sounded familiar as well, as if Bushroot had heard that Scottish accent before.

"Have a seen you before, you look familiar." Bushroot asked.

"Uh, do I?" The old duck chuckled nervously. "I doubt it lad. I think I would have remembered a plant duck. No offense meant, of course."

"Still, I might have met you before. What's your name?"

"Ah, my name's Ebenezer." The duck smiled. Bushroot frowned. He was pretty good at telling when he had been lied to, and this guy had just told him a lie.

"But-"Bushroot was about to pursue this further when screams erupted, and the line broke faster than anything Bushroot had ever seen. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. All Bushroot had to do was turn his head and see the figure of Gizmoduck looming in the distance.

"Hanny!" He bellowed at the officer, who looked so pale he might faint. "Get them to the ships and call Likky and Megs! I'll hold him off till then! Go!" To Bushroot's relief Hannigan did what he was told.

"What!" "Ebenezer" stared at Bushroot, who was proceeding towards Gizmoduck. "He'll kill you!"

_Oh trust me, I know he can. But not as fast as he thinks._ Bushroot thought, but he didn't say anything. He was focused on this new foe. He knew that he would probably survive any encounter with Gizmoduck, at least his chances were higher than anyone else, save perhaps for the Liquidator. After all, he could regrow from a single sprout. The problem would be holding Gizmoduck off while the people got on the boats. That was the big challenge here.

Gizmoduck rolled closer; the cold look on his face didn't change as he spotted Bushroot, who simply planted himself (figuratively) in the middle of the street, vines folded and a frown on his face.

"Stand aside, shrub." Gizmoduck said. "I have business on that pier."

Bushroot smiled. He nodded, and Gizmoduck obviously thought that this was agreement on his part, as he started to roll forwards. He didn't see the weeds that sprung from the concrete that lashed out and entangled his tread. Gizmoduck was yanked off his tread and flung backwards about thirty yards away. About five seconds later, however, Gizmoduck was back and looking a little on the steamed side. He pulled out several of his missiles and rocket launchers, and started to pepper the general area around Bushroot, obviously not caring what got broken or smashed.

Bushroot, unwilling to let missiles fall to close to the rapidly rushing mass of people even now heading to the boats behind him, charged forwards, slipping in behind Gizmoduck and lashing at the metal monster's armor with his vines. Of course it did nothing, but Gizmoduck turned to follow Bushroot as he dashed behind him, aiming the deadly guns away from the spectators. Bushroot commanded the weeds along the ground to grow even longer and tangle more at Gizmoduck's treads and up towards the haphazardly placed gun where the television monitor once stood. Gizmoduck frowned minutely and tugged at the weeds, ripping them out of the ground and tossing them away with a dismissive expression. He aimed his weapon collection at Bushroot and fired, causing more holes in the ground. Bushroot doged and leaped around, keeping away from the blows with ease. He knew that he was not much of a fighter. The Liquidator could use his water body to get close to people and defeat them in hand to hand combat, or attack long distance with water. Quackerjack had his toys, and his own strange, clowny, acrobatic style of fighting that was no martial art, but still effective enough. Megavolt's electricity was a powerful long distance power. However most of Bushroots plants were not as tough as water, due to their delicate stems and petals. His own strength was less than the others, because his own stems were almost as feeble as his "brothers". All this made Bushroot a much more defensive fighter then the others. Still, he knew that he could keep this guy on his toes long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

"Get away from him!"

Bushroot looked up. This…was not the reinforcements he was thinking about. It was the old duck, "Ebenezer", who had spoken. He was striding up to the battling pair; cane lifted aggressively, a scared, but determined, look on his face.

"No! Don't come any closer!" Bushroot shouted, but Gizmoduck was no longer focusing on him. Instead, all of Gizmoduck's attention was on the old duck. Gizmoduck turned and aimed a machine gun at the old duck, who stared at him defiantly.

"Finally, it ends now…boss." Gizmoduck smiled.

"No!" Bushroot leaped onto Gizmoduck's back and extended his vines, jerking the weapon upwards to shoot into the air. Gizmoduck hissed and reached around, grabbing Bushroot by a root. With a mighty fling he tossed the plant mutant right at the old duck. Bushroot managed to right himself before he could collide with "Ebenezer", and turned to face Gizmoduck.

Gizmoduck brought out a different weapon, a flamethrower. He aimed it at Bushroot. "Stand aside or I kill you as well."

"Never." Bushroot said.

"What sort of reward is worth your life?" Gizmoduck asked, as if puzzled.

"I'm a defender of this city. I won't let you kill anyone as long as I'm here." Bushroot snarled.

"Then you are a fool."

"And you don't learn!" Bushroot grinned as the weeds regrew at lashed themselves around the flamethrower. Gizmoduck jerked backward, but with a mighty heave the weeds broke off the flamethrower.

For the first time, Bushroot heard the legendary Gizmoduck raise his voice. The evil duck roared in anger and began to fire his missiles and rockets indiscriminately, all around the area. Buildings began to crack and crumble, and Bushroot knew that Gizmoduck was about to bring the entire block down on them.

Glancing back, Bushroot could see that the boats were now long gone. The captains must have really been booking it. He hadn't thought that they had spent that much time fighting. It was time to get out of here, him and the old duck. He wasn't going to leave the old guy here. He looked around and spotted a sewer drain.

"Hold on." Bushroot grabbed the old duck by the waist. He glared at Bushroot.

"Let me go you-"The old man started to whack Bushroot on the head, but Bushroot didn't pay attention. Gizmoduck was still having his little temper tantrum, and not paying attention to what was going on around him. Now was perfect.

Bushroot slipped over towards the drain and dragged the old duck down with him, into the sewers. Though he didn't' really like them, Bushroot and the others often used the sewers as an escape route. It was actually very handy, if fragrant. It almost just as bad here, though. The street itself was starting to crumble from all the shooting going on, which made the "roof" above them start to crack and crumble. All of a sudden the two could hear something crashing above them.

"Bless me bagpipes, what was that?" The old duck stopped bonking Bushroot as he shot a concerned look above him.

"I think that might have been a few buildings. Come on. We've got to get out of here before Gizmoduck thinks to look down here for us."

"Aye." The old duck nodded. "I'll go this way and you-"

"No way! You'll never find your way around here! It's like a maze! I know my way around here. I can get you out of the city. It's obvious that Gizmoduck is after you." Bushroot said.

"I don't want to talk about it!" The old duck hissed.

"I didn't ask you to talk about it. Let's get going." Bushroot said, as he stared to walk away. "Come on, we don't want to stay here."

"I can't give you anything!" The old duck argued. "Don't you understand!"

"I don't want anything except to help you." Bushroot said.

"But…why?"

Bushroot smiled. "I don't care about rewards. That's not why I'm a hero."

"There aren't any heroes in this world." The old duck shook his cane in anger. "I've traveled this entire world, lad, and I've never met a single hero!"

"You've met one now. Let's go." Bushroot said as he turned. To his relief, the old duck followed him.

* * *

><p>"Come one, Megs! We have to reach the docks!"<p>

"I know! I know! I never should have taken that nap!" Megavolt shouted at the Liquidator, who was tidal waving across the street. "I keep having weird dreams about a purple Negaduck!"

"You dream in color?" The Liquidator asked.

"Doesn't everybody?"

"I don't."

"Huh, that's weird." Megavolt said.

"Not as weird as a purple Negaduck. I can't imagine it. He'd be to…monochrome." The Liquidator said.

"Yeah, and he was really egotistical." Megavolt said.

"So, no different then?" The Liquidator smiled.

"Huh, I guess not." Megavolt nodded. "Oh, speak of the demon."

The Liquidator turned his head and growled. There was Negaduck, turning a corner in front of them, a machine gun in hand. He was riding his specially build motorbike, with Launchpad and Lamont following behind on their own, normal bikes. The two thugs were also armed to the teeth.

"They're going the same way we are."

"Bet it's not to pick up fresh anchovies." Megavolt said grimly. "Come on, this just got even more serious."

"Why so serious?" From almost literally nowhere, Quackerjack bounced into view, riding his pogo stick from a side street. Megavolt nearly fell off his telephone line.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"Coooffeee!"

"Okay, I think we need to revoke your coffee privileges." Megavolt said. He really didn't like the way Quackerjack's eyes were glazing over. "And did you bring my ten bucks!"

"I don't owe you a cent!" Quackerjack snarled. "Besides, I spent all my money on coffee."

"I really, really wish you two would give this up." The Liquidator grumbled.

"I will once he gives me my money!" Megavolt retorted.

"You're worse than a creditor! At least creditors are honest!" Quackerjack shouted at Megavolt.

"I am so glad I was an only child." The Liquidator muttered.

* * *

><p>About ten minutes after his initial temper tantrum, Gizmoduck finally realized that his victims were gone. He frowned in anger. He could tell from the lack of blood smears that his quarry was gone.<p>

With an annoyed expression Gizmoduck changed an attachment on his helmet visor. He couldn't see anything from the plant freak, but he could detect the heat signatures from his real prey. They led down into the sewers. Very well. If the old fool wanted to die in filth, so be it.

He was about to go after them, when the screech of motorcycle wheels alerted him to more people. He turned and grimaced.

"Oh, it's you." Gizmoduck stared at Negaduck as the crime lord glared at him. "And you, Launchpad. How have you been?"

Launchpad shrugged. "Can't complain."

Gizmoduck nodded. "Good." He looked at Negaduck. "What do you want?" The metal menace's dismissive tone enraged Negaduck.

"You're in my town, tin can!" Negaduck snarled. "I'm the only one who gets to smash it!"

Gizmoduck seemed unmoved by the other's anger. "I have only one goal here. Once I am done I shall leave."

"Oh, you'll leave. AS A PAPERWEIGHT!" Negaduck roared and opened fire. Gizmoduck frowned in irritation and retaliated, firing his own weapons at the three gang members, who scattered. Even Negaduck scattered, but he didn't stop firing at Gizmoduck as he dodged the invader's shots. Negaduck leaped behind a fallen dumpster and continued to trade shots with Gizmoduck. His two companions also fond refuge, Launchpad under a car and Lamont behind a building, from those two places they also shot at Gizmoduck. Gizmoduck, however, seemed to shrug off all their blows. He didn't appear at all fazed by any of this.

At this point Megavolt, the Liquidator and Quackerjack arrived. The trio stared at the scene before them, not sure what to do.

"Umm, is Negaduck fighting Gizmoduck for us?" The Liquidator asked.

"Sure looks like it." Megavolt said.

"Whose side does that make us on?" Quackerjack asked.

"Neither." Megavolt said flatly. "We wait and see what happens, then take out the remaining villain. We could take them both out at once! Put them both away for life!"

Unfortunately for everyone, Megavolt had spoken to loudly. Launchpad heard him. Snarling to himself, the henchman slipped over to Negaduck's dumpster and whispered what he had heard to Negaduck who was now enraged. The crime lord turned to the heroes and bellowed.

"You losers! I'll kill you all for that! Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let you pull that?" Negaduck turned to Gizmoduck. "You hear that, tin can! He's trying to play us both!"

Gizmoduck stopped attacking and frowned at Megavolt. In response to this challenge he aimed his weapons at the group of three heroes. "Wipe them off the face of the earth, and then we can finish our…discussion."

"I was thinking the same thing." Negaduck smiled.

"Nice going, Megavolt." Quackerjack said. Megavolt gulped.

Negaduck grinned and turned his guns at the three, and his two henchmen followed his actions. Quackerjack jumped out of the way and ducked behind a building, similar to Lamont's position on the field. He huddled behind his makeshift cover and began to pull out some toy soldiers, which he wound up and sent against the enemies. The small toys, though resilient, didn't do much damage to the criminals. Megavolt had sought cover from the other direction, also behind a building. He fired off electrical bursts from this area, most of which missed. The Liquidator was the only one who didn't seek cover. Instead, he formed tidal wave after tidal wave, and attempted to wash Negaduck and his compatriots from their own cover. Unfortunately they stuck like burrs, holding on to the nearest available solid item, keeping themselves from moving.

Gizmoduck watched the exchange with a cold, detached expression. He turned his gaze to the nearest storm drain. Silently for one made of metal, he snuck over to the drain and slipped in. Once there he activated his heat seeking function on his visor. He grinned when he saw the heat signatures left behind.

Back to the hunt.

* * *

><p>Bushroot could feel "Ebenezer" gazing at him with open curiosity. The old man seemed so puzzled that Bushroot would want to help someone just out the kindness of his own heart. Alright, so it was true that most people these days didn't help each other, as a rule. Sure there were only a few that were openly criminals, but it was a well known fact that in places like St. Canard a person could be dying on the street and no one would lift a finger to help. It was worse in Duckburg, or so Bushroot had heard.<p>

"Wait! Stop!" The old duck suddenly stopped and help up a hand. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Bushroot asked, a bit startled.

"There's something wrong." His companion snarled. His eyes were narrowed in aggression and suspicion.

"I don't-ack!" Bushroot shouted as, all at once, a huge oversized wild sewer rat leaped from the water and gripped his arm in its mouth. It's narrowed; furry face was nothing like his friend Megavolt's. It was a wild animal, with not a wit of intelligence to it. It was also way too large for its kind, the size of a small terrier. It had webbed feet, a third eye in the middle of its forehead, and a spike sprouting from its back. Bushroot hissed and batted the thing away. It fell back into the slimy waters of the sewers, but more of the mutated things leaped up at them, attempting to take a bite.

Bushroot began to bat with disgusted fury. His eyes turned to make sure that "Ebenezer was okay, but the old man seemed to be holding his own against the mutants, striking them again and again with his cane like a madman. Bushroot was impressed. The old duck was clearly no stranger to danger, and he used the cane like an old pro. One of the mutants however got past "Ebenezer's" cane and latched itself on his arm. Bushroot turned and punched the mutant of the snout. The thing jerked in surprise, and Bushroot tossed it back into the water.

Finally it seemed like the things had been pushed back. "Ebenezer" hissed and stared at the blood coming from his wounded arm. Bushroot walked over and tried to gently grab the arm.

"Here, let me see it." Bushroot said gently, but the old duck jerked away with a snarl. "Come on." Bushroot said. "I just want to help you."

"Ebenezer" stared at Bushroot, his meeting the plant ducks as if he was trying to read Bushroot's mind. Bushroot smiled gently at "Ebenezer". Perhaps it was that gentle, kind smile. Perhaps it was the fact that Bushroot was a naturally charismatic person, but "Ebenezer's" frown disappeared and he nodded sadly.

"Oh very well." He said.

Bushroot smiled and examined the bite. It was deep and nasty, and Bushroot had a feeling that if it was not treated then it might be infected. "I think you need a hospital."

"Oh poppycock!" The other snarled and shook his cane. "I don't have time for that, lad. If we don't hurry then Gizmoduck will be on us! I won't have to worry about a little infected bite if that maniac puts a bullet in me head!"

"True…hold on." Bushroot concentrated, and thought of the various plants that were around them. At his call a small green, fresh onion sprout wiggled itself from above them, and slithered down to pop in above their heads. Bushroot reached up and plucked it. He mushed up the sprouts. The volunteer plant had known exactly what Bushroot had wanted from it, and didn't mind sacrificing a few healing sprouts to the cause. Bushroot dropped the onion mush on the wound "There, that will help keep the infection down. I still think you should go to a hospital after this."

"Alright, alright." The old man rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you're worse than me boys." The man turned and started to continue to walk. Bushroot hurried to keep up.

"You have sons?" He asked.

"Oh no. Never married. To busy. But I have nephews. Those are…were me boys." The old man said with a fixed expression. Then the expression softened as he thought of his nephews. "Oh, they're a fine trio! Kind and generous, but plenty of courage and tenacity. Real go getters! I just wish that…" The old man shook his head.

"My friend the Liquidator has a son. He talks about him much the same way you do." Bushroot said.

"Ah, a hero with a son?" The old man chuckled. "I bet they have all kinds of adventures!"

Bushroot frowned. "Actually, Hank was kidnapped. Likky has been spending his time trying to find him."

"Oh…" The other hung his head and shook it. "I know how he feels…"

"We'll find Hank some day, then all of us will help Likky rescue him!"

"You'd do that, just because this Liquidator is your friend?"

"I'd do it even if the Liquidator was my worst enemy. I can't turn away a person in trouble, no matter who or what they are." Bushroot said.

"Ebenezer" shook his head. "I've never meet anyone like you. No one."

"I am accused of being way too soft, Ebenezer." Bushroot said with a grin.

"…I'm afraid I haven't been that honest with you."

"Yeah, I figured Ebenezer isn't you real name." Bushroot said.

"What? And you still helped me?" The old man's eyes were wide.

"It wasn't my business. I don't care who you are. You needed my help." Why did Bushroot keep have to repeat himself like this?

A long silence, then: "I am Scrooge McDuck."

"Really?" Bushroot gazed at Scrooge with wide eyes. "The richest duck in the world?"

"Not anymore." Scrooge said bitterly. "It's all that blasted Gizmoduck's fault!"

"What happened?"

"I was always looking for a new way to protect me Money Bastion. There were always unscrupulous hoods trying to break into it, like that petty crook Launchpad McQuack and Gyro Gearloose. So, when my accountant, Fenton Crackshell, showed up with that Gizmosuite of his I thought I had the perfect security guard!" Scrooge shook his head. "I should have know that brownnosing little runt was up to no good, but he was always so pathetic with his begging and his cringing that I just couldn't help but feel sorry for him! Well, it turned out he was actually working with Gearloose and McQuack. He stole all the money out of me Bastion, and even got into my investments and my stocks. Everything!" Scrooge shook his cane in anger. "I could have taken it. I still carry a bit of traveling money with me in my wallet. A few million or so." Bushroot snorted. "I could have simply started over. I made money once before by being tougher and smarter than anyone and I always did it square! But then…Gizmoduck decided it wasn't enough. Bad enough he had robbed me, but then he took away what I loved more than all the money in the world."

"Your family." Bushroot said. It was a familiar story to him.

"Aye. He attacked me beloved nephews! They might have died, save for Magica DeSpell. I always thought she was just a weird little woman who was for some reason fixated on me Number One Dime, but it turns out she was a real witch! She saved Huey, Dewy and Louie with her magic before Gizmoduck could finish them off. But by then the damage was already done. Me boys ended up in the hospital. They lived, but CPS took them away from me. Said I was an unfit guardian, that I was putting them in danger! Bah! I loved those boys! I would never put them into harm's way! Now they're gone…lost in the foster system."

Bushroot gazed at Scrooge in sympathy. "You'll get them back! I'm sure of it!"

"Your endless optimism is rather annoying." Scrooge grinned wryly.

"Why is Gizmoduck after you, anyway?" Bushroot asked. "If it was just for your money…"

"Aye, that's the puzzle. He robbed me, but for some reason he still wants to kill me! I haven't figured out why. But…he's changed. He was always a bit of a wormy man, but he wasn't a killer. It was like getting that suit did something to him. He's grown so cold it's like he a stranger me." Scrooge said with a look of puzzlement. Then he looked around the tunnel they were in. "Is it just me, or is this sewer starting to look a little more like a cave then a sewer."

"Yeah, I figured it might do that." Bushroot said. "You see, St. Canard is build under a cavern of manmade sewage tunnels, and they are right next to a natural cavern system under the forest. At some point they started to mix in with the cavern. Thankfully the underground river doesn't go near the sewage, so whatever mutated those rats shouldn't affect the water." Bushroot pointed to a small hole in the wall. "There's an entrance to the cavern part."

"How wonderful." Scrooge said ruefully.

"One of my friend's lairs is near here, in the caves. If we can get there it should be safe. At very least we'll have a way to contact my friends. Get some reinforcements." Bushroot said.

"Well, led on…er, what was your name again? I must have missed it somewhere."

"Bushroot."

"Okay, led the way Bushroot." Scrooge nodded. Bushroot nodded and started forwards into the entrance, keeping his eyes on Scrooge to make sure he was alright as they exited the reasonably smooth sewage pathways and into the rockier, natural floor of the caves. He was a bit scared that too much exertion would tire Scrooge out. But Scrooge kept trucking along, steady as a rock. In fact, if Bushroot was any judge, Scrooge was almost in better shape than him, and the entire plant duck thing had done wonders for Bushroot's endurance. Neither of them had any problems seeing, because even here Quackerjack had rigged the place with dim, but steady lights, all powered by generators. It wasn't exactly the best arrangement, but it worked.

"Have you done this before?" Bushroot asked.

"The sewer part? No. The cave part, oh yes. I used to travel the world looking for treasure to add to me Bastion. Just me and me nephews, traveling and discovering and camping…ah it was the best time of me life." Scrooge said with a wistful smile.

"That's so amazing!" Bushroot said as he studied the big cavern they had just stepped into. It was about the size of a football field, covered with stalactites and stalagmites with a huge hole in the middle that Quackerjack said was about fifty feet down. He said they really should stay away from it, as the sides of it were slippery and you couldn't get a grip if you fell.

Scrooge laughed. "This from a guy who claims to be a superhero!"

"Ah, I'm just your average mutant trying to do what's right." To Bushroot's pleasure that got a laugh out of Scrooge.

"You know, I'm almost glad I came. This reminds me so much of the good times." Scrooge said.

"It's fitting then, that you will die here Scrooge."

"Gizmoduck!" The pair startled at almost the exact same moment. The two of them turned and looked behind them. There, standing in the path where they had just come from, was Gizmoduck. His dark metal armor blinded in with the natural dimness of the caves. In fact he almost looked like nothing more than a distorted, floating beak and single glowing visor. It made him look unearthly, like a monster from hell.

"Now, you both die. I'm sick of chasing you around the country, Scrooge. Now we finish it." Gizmoduck said.

"You'll have to get past me first." Bushroot said calmly.

"Very well." Gizmoduck aimed his weapon at the two of them. "Then you die together."

"Why are you doing this, Fenton?" Scrooge said. "I paid you well! I trusted you! I let you me own house and let you play with me boys! How could you do this?"

Gizmoduck paused. He tilted his head to one side, as if confused. Then his head straightened and he shook his head. He gave Scrooge no answer, but instead he rolled forwards, eager for the kill. Bushroot snarled and stepped in between the two, leaf hands clenched in anger.

Gizmoduck wasted no more words. Instead he struck, shooting bullets everywhere. Scrooge had the presence of mind to duck behind a stalagmite as the bullets whizzed by. He hated hiding while another took risks for him, but Bushroot had told him a bit about his power, and Scrooge now knew that the plant mutant was not going to be taken down that easily from mere bullets.

However, as Bushroot was leaping to tackle the metal menace, Gizmoduck suddenly pulled out a second flamethrower from his person as blasted Bushroot with it. Bushroot bent at the side, avoiding most of the flames, one vine arm was reduced to ash, and the flames scorched his head and body. He gasped at the immense pain, pain he had never felt before. His sap felt like it had just been boiled. It was horrible. He missed his target completely and skidded on the ground, gasping and rolling to douse the flames. It worked, but he was still burned.

Gizmoduck rolled forwards, flamethrower aimed.

Scrooge shook with rage at the sight. That young duck had saved him! Was willing to give his life for him! Scrooge couldn't stand by.

"Fenton!" Scrooge leapt from behind his refuge. "You found out a lot about me, lad, when you worked for me. But I found out just as much about you! Like this!" Scrooge took a deep breath, and then bellowed. "Blatherin Blatherskite!"

"No! You miserable old clod!" Gizmoduck screamed as the metal suit left him and circled around Scrooge, attaching to him with the swiftness of a tornado. Bushroot stared at him in astonishment.

"Blather…is that even a word?" He muttered as the suit went from its original owner to Scrooge, who rolled unsteadily on the single wheel. Bushroot studied the man that had been behind the suit. He was a small, almost unimposing duck, but the look in Fenton Crackshell's eyes was as cold and emotionless as Gizmoduck's voice had been. It was a creepy, almost downright sociopathic expression, and it chilled Bushroot more than Negaduck's sheer rage had ever accomplished. You could say a lot of things about Negaduck, but you could never say he lacked passion. This man, this Fenton Crackshell…there was no passion, only coldness.

"Hahahahaha! The mighty Gizmoduck has a weakness then? The secret to his suit is a simple stupid phrase!" Scrooge, Bushroot, and the newly revealed Fenton Crackshell turned their gaze to the entrance of the tunnel, where Negaduck now stood, as if summoned by Bushroot's mental comparison of the two villains. Gloating, the crime lord sneered at Fenton, who stared back at him with a detached look in his eyes. "Normally I'd play with weed whacker over there." Negaduck nodded at Bushroot, who was struggling to his roots. "But I think I'll just wipe you off the map instead!" Negaduck laughed and shot at Fenton, who backpedaled away. Fenton fell back, straight towards the deep pit.

"No…you…won't!" Bushroot bellowed and lengthened his remaining vine, wrapping it around Fenton's leg before he could fall over the edge and to his death. Negaduck roared and began to shoot blindly at the both of them. Bushroot stood and stepped between Fenton and Negaduck, taking bullet after bullet. It hurt, but in a much more vague way then the burning had done. Bullets simply don't kill plants. Bushroot had no more animal internal organs to damage.

"Bushroot! Up here!" Bushroot turned and looked at Scrooge, who was even now aiming one of the Gizmosuit's missiles at the ceiling. He fired, and a hole appeared, letting sweet daylight into the cave. Scrooge swooped down and fired the Gizmosuit rockets, as he grabbed Bushroot, yanking both him and Fenton into the sky. They could hear Negaduck roaring in anger as they shot towards the sky. A few more shots were fired, but by then to three of them had shot through the opening and were making their escape.

* * *

><p>Scrooge managed to take them a few miles out of St. Canard before his tenuous hold on the Gizmosuit failed. He skidded to the ground with a grunt.<p>

As soon as they had landed Fenton jumped up with a sneer. "Blatherin Blatherskite." He hissed, and the suit returned to him with a whirl. Bushroot was exhausted and in pain, but he once again put himself between Scrooge and Gizmoduck.

Gizmoduck looked from Scrooge to Bushroot, and it seemed to Bushroot that for the first time Gizmoduck actually _saw_ him. Before that Gizmoduck seemed to dismiss him as an object or an obstacle, but now he was actually looking at the mutant before him.

"Why?" Gizmoduck asked in a flat, emotionless tone.

"Why what? Why did I save you? It was the right thing to do. It was the good thing to do. You're a murderer, a killer, but you're still a person. I couldn't let you die if there was something I could do to stop it."

"You are a fool. I could just as easily kill you both now." Gizmoduck said.

"And I will still fight you." Bushroot said.

"I don't understand. Why must you save people?" Gizmoduck said.

"I don't understand. Why do you kill people?" Bushroot threw Gizmoduck's words back at him.

For the longest time Gizmoduck stared at Scrooge, then at Bushroot. Finally, Gizmoduck turned and shook his head. "This once, you have saved my life. I would be stupid not to grant you life now. I shall pursue you no more, Scrooge. But know this. If I ever see either of you again, I shall kill. Pray that you never cross my path again. Either of you." With that Gizmoduck rolled swiftly away, and was gone.

For a long time Scrooge watched the place where Gizmoduck had vanished, then he turned and sighed. "I don't know what went so wrong with him."

"I don't know. I can't imagine living that way." Bushroot said. "What are you going to do now, Mr. McDuck?"

Scrooge's eyes went from sad to determined. "Why, I'll do what I've always done! I'll press on! The first thing I am going to do is change the codes to my Bastion and my bank accounts. Then I'll start rebuilding. There's a treasure I've heard of in Asia. I'll start there. I'll raise enough money to hire the best lawyers money can buy, and I'll get me boys back!" Scrooge nodded to himself, and then he turned to Bushroot. "I'm going to need people I can trust with me. What do you say, lad? Care to join me?"

Bushroot smiled at Scrooge. "I'm honored, but my team and my city needs me."

Scrooge smirked. "Aye, I thought you would say that! Still, the door to me Bastion is open to you and your friends. If you ever need a refuge, or anything, it will be there for you."

"Thanks."

"No, thank you, Bushroot. I'm glad I met you." Scrooge shook the plant mutant's remaining vine, and then lifted his cane with a light toss. "Goodbye for now, and good luck to you."

"Good luck, Mr. McDuck."

Scrooge laughed. "Oh, I don't need luck!" The old duck laughed as he marched away towards Duckburg. Bushroot smiled as he watched the old man. After a while the tired, but happy, plant mutant began to head home, hoping his friends would meet him there.

* * *

><p>"You actually met Scrooge McDuck!" Quackerjack tugged the ends of his hat with an odd expression. "I can't believe it! I'm so jealous!"<p>

Bushroot laughed as he settled down in his greenhouse, watching his three friends. After battling Negaduck in the street the three of them had been forced to retreat or be killed, and Negaduck had gone after Gizmoduck. They were just fixing to mount a search for Bushroot when he actually arrived at the greenhouse, burned and worse for wear, but alive. Megavolt, who had bags under his eyes and a strained expression that only the truly weary can obtain, had settled into a plant that had graciously formed itself into a chair for him. A few minutes after that had fallen into a weary sleep. No one had the heart to wake him.

"Quackerjack…why are you eyes rolling in different directions?" Bushroot asked as he watched his other friend. He was a bit concerned about both Megavolt and Quackerjack.

"Oh nothing, just the coffee!" Quackerjack pulled yet another cup out off his jacket and started to sip, but the Liquidator grabbed the cup and dumped it on the ground.

"Four out of five doctors agree that too much of this stuff can lead to severe health issues. In addition, glazed eyes and a twitching body is a clear indication that you have slept too little and drunk too much!"

"But I…I…oh man do I feel…ugh." To Bushroot's horror Quackerjack kind of slid forwards, falling into the watching petals of a friendly daisy who just could not let their little animal friend be hurt. The plants had become very fond of Quackerjack. Bushroot let out a sigh of relief when Quackerjack started to snore heavily.

"Let's keep quite. These two need their rest." Bushroot said.

"I think you do as well." The Liquidator smiled at Bushroot, who leaned back into a nice spot of sunlight and let the healing rays wash over his burns. He'd grow back, but right now all he wanted to do was sit here and absorb the sun.

With his family.

* * *

><p>"Scroogie, please listen to me!"<p>

"You, who let you in?" Scrooge glared at the sorceress, Magica DeSpell.

"You don't have a secretary anymore, Scroogie. I just walked in. I need to talk to you. I think you at least owe me that much." Magica looked at him with a concerned expression on her gentle face. Her raven pet, a creature that always seemed a bit too intelligent to Scrooge, also looked at him with what appeared to be concern.

"If it's about me Number One Dime, the answer is still no." Scrooge said. "I won't part with it for any amount in the world. I don't even know why you want it anyway!"

"Scroogie, there is…something coming. Something very very bad. That dime is my only hope."

"You're a witch, why do you need a dime?" Scrooge asked.

"It's not really about the dime, but who it's been around. It's…complicated."

"Well, I can't just give it away for nothing, especially not to just anyone!"

"How can I gain your trust?"

"Hmmm," Scrooge thought for a second, and then snapped his fingers. "I got just the thing."

* * *

><p>"Come along, Magica! We got only a few miles to the treasure!" Scrooge grinned as he got to the top of the mountain. While she wasn't a replacement for his boys, she had been willing enough to go along with his idea, and was making an honest effort to earn his trust. He admired her willingness to work with him, even though he knew that she probably wouldn't do this normally.<p>

He sighed and watched her climb up behind him, tired, but willing to go with him. He missed his boys, but Scrooge was still happy. He was back on track, and soon everything would be alright again. He would get his fortune and more importantly his boys back.

Scrooge turned back to the mountain, and started to climb again, eager for adventure.

* * *

><p>AN: Originally this chapter was supposed to be Bushroot vs. An Evil Logging Company, but the idea just wouldn't grow. Then it was going to be Bushroot vs. Evil Scrooge. I was all set and ready to make him an unscrupulous robber baron with Glomgold attributes. However, when I tried to imagine Scrooge as evil I just couldn't do it. Apparently there are some childhood memories that can't be trodden upon, and it turns out for me that's Scrooge. But, apparently I can still make Gizmoduck an evil monster, even though I kind of hated to do it, and loved it at the same time. Odd. I always did like Fenton/Gizmoduck, but for some reason it was easier to make him evil then Scrooge. I can justify it though, by saying that since Nega Gosalyn wasn't evil that must mean that the Negaverse isn't a complete mirror verse of the normal verse. I do have a theory for that, but it will be explained and expanded on much later.

Thinking of things that will be explained upon, so will the reason that Nega Magica, who is good in this by the way, needs the Number One Dime shall also be explained eventually.

I don't know why I made Quackerjack addicted to coffee in this. It just felt right.

The onion thing came from my mom, who is an RN. I fudged it a little bit, but she said that green onion would help draw out anything nasty from a rat bite. She also suggests willow bark and bread mold. Nice thoughts, huh?

I am by no means trying to present the CPS as an evil nephew stealing organization. At first the trio was going to be evil as well, but once again I just couldn't do it. So I kind of brushed them under the rug.

Don't know why I came up with a Money Bastion, it just sounded right for the Negaverse.

* * *

><p><em>Next time: The Liquidator is seeking the location of his son, and in his quest he has found a SHUSH facility that might hold the key. But while there he runs afoul a mysterious newcomer to fight. Who is the Voice, and is it friend, or foe? <em>


	4. What Evil Lurks

An Author's Note: When I first saw Darkwing Duck, back in the nineties, I had no idea that it was a spoof off several things I had never seen in my life, as I was about nine at the time. Mabye ten. However, now that I've finally gone back and rewatched the show I now see several things that make me laugh a lot. One of these is the fact that, if you put them side by side, Darkwing poses exactly like The Shadow.

Who's The Shadow? The Shadow was a pulp and radio character, waaay back when people had…well radios instead of television. Back in the thirties. It was awesome, and I know this because my mom made me listen to several cassette tapes (for any of you dang kids who don't know in my audience, those were what we used before cds. Oh, and get off my lawn, you whippersnappers.) I loved those tapes. Still listen to those tapes. Darkwing may have some qualities of Batman, but he also has a bit of the Shadow there as well.

Now, I can't help but not put a Shadow like character in this, but not Darkwing. I love the Shadow, and I can't help it. This new character is going to have some different Shadow aspects.

I don't own the Shadow. Or the dang coal. Don't ask me about the dang coal. Or the tires.

Chapter Four

What Evil Lurks

The wind howled through the trees, a dirge like a tortured soul or a ghost on the prowl. The trees bent, almost to the point that they would surely snap at any moment now. Rain splattered on the ground, creating huge puddles on the cold concrete. A huge car, an old looking model that might as well had been from the thirties or so, idled ominously in an alley like a predator watching for prey. It was a huge, rumbling black thing, and seemingly made out of squares, with two round headlights like wide staring eyes. Everything, from the white rimed tires to the roof, screamed of a bygone age before television, computers and a second world war.

The Liquidator didn't give it a second thought. Oh he knew it was there, but he really didn't care. It was just a car, and he had better things to worry about.

Silently, the Liquidator stared at the house across the street from him. Finally, after all this time, a lead. He had run into it by accident as well. It had only been chance that he had been traveling through the sewer systems when he spotted Dingo and Khola, the two nimrods, attempting to break into the place, with their usual loudness, not five minutes ago. They had been ejected by a large bear, who had said something about them not belonging in SHUSH anymore, so he was not going to give Khola his damn notes. Or something like that. All the Liquidator had heard was the mention of SHUSH, and now he was watching the house. He knew that he would have to break in, and now. Who knew when SHUSH would move their base, or something?

At least that was what he told himself. He wasn't even going to bother going for help. The other three had a rough time with the Gizmoduck incident, surely they needed their rest?

That's what the Liquidator told himself.

The Liquidator smiled and flowed towards the house, seeping into the cracks. Within minutes he was in.

* * *

><p>The figure in the driver's seat of the black car narrowed his eyes. "That was one of the local heroes, wasn't it boss?" The falcon turned his beak to the other figure lurking in the backseat.<p>

"Supposed heroes at least. I wonder why he is seeking out SHUSH?" The figure said. Already there was a hint of menace, as well as a slight reverberation, in the figure's tone.

"Maybe we should wa-"

"No Marco. With those two hoods making that commotion SHUSH might very well move on. They are known for that. I have to get in, now, and retrieve the item."

"But if you cross that guy what will he do?" Marco the falcon asked.

"It doesn't matter. He had best hope that he doesn't cross _my_ path. Keep the engine warm, Marco. We might need it."

Marco had good eyes, he was known for them in fact. Still, not even he could see when the figure in the back seemed to melt into the shadows, and was gone.

"None who crosses the Voice shall win!" The figure laughed, and Marco shivered. The laugh was something between a full blown mwhahahaha and an evil chuckle, drifting from high to low pitch, creating a sinister sound.

"I hate that laugh." He muttered.

* * *

><p>The Liquidator considered finding the nearest person, slamming them against a wall, and demanding the location of Hank. However, he knew that if he did that, as fun as it might be, he would get nowhere with this method. He might end up exposed, or worse. He might lose this golden chance to find his little boy. That wasn't going to happen. He was going to be smart about this. He needed to find a record's room. There just had to be a paper trail.<p>

He flowed through the air ducts in a long stream, peeking into rooms and looking for something that might be where these lunatics kept their documents. He knew that this was defiantly SHUSH HQ. There was no way this could be anything else, due to the fact that they had projected the name of the organization on every single wall. Oh sure, they kept it secret enough on the outside, but on the inside they just couldn't help but advertize.

"As soon as Negaduck gets here, Grizzlikof, give him the package. You know him. He wants proof before he will even think of leaving the city limits."

The long line of water that was the Liquidator perked up. Negaduck! He was coming! And there was something about a package? He knew he had to intercept this! And find out about Hank. Could he do both? He knew that Negaduck simply didn't leave the city, for any reason. It would have to be something big in order to lure the crime lord out of his territory. The Liquidator oozed his vision towards the grate where the voice had come from. He looked down to see an elderly owl handing that same big bear from before a small package. The bear, Grizzlikof, nodded grimly. He had a nasty look on his face, like he smelled something bad. Grizzlikof glowered and stomped out the door, heedless to the frown on the owl's face. The Liquidator flowed after the bear, who stood outside the office shaking his head.

"I am not dragging this thing around for that bumbling maniac." Grizzlikof muttered angrily. "Bah, I'll just toss it in storage until he gets here. After all, it's not like anyone is going to go in there. Only old records." He grumbled as he started down the hall.

Old records? How old? The Liquidator felt a hot thrill going down his water body. Was it really going to be this easy? Would he get his answers at last? All this time, all these nights looking in vain, was he finally going to find Hank? He had searched everywhere for Hank, everywhere, and had found nothing. In between trying to save the city he had sought out criminals that might have connections to SHUSH and to Negaduck. None had talked to him, no matter what he offered or threatened. Now, he was so close he could taste it. He flowed after Grizzlikof, hope springing into his every being.

Grizzlikof didn't disappoint the Liquidator. He led the Liquidator to what could only be called a thirty acre long warehouse, file cabinets were everywhere, lined against the walls, even making makeshift aisles in the front part of the warehouse. In the back the Liquidator could see big boxes, probably filled with more stuff. You could probably fit the Arc of the Covenant back there somewhere. The Liquidator waited and watched as Grizzlikof tossed the package lightly on a file cabinet and walked away in a huff.

The Liquidator counted to five, waiting till he was sure that Grizzlikof was gone. Then he flowed from the air vents down to the floor of the records room. He quickly snatched the package from the file cabinet, but didn't look at it that much. He simply stuffed it into his chest, letting it hover in a bubble in his body. It would be safe there. He needed to find what had happened to his son. Of course, he didn't know how the filing system worked…he hoped it was alphabetically. He had a feeling that he would not find much my looking for his son's name. He didn't think SHUSH would ask their prisoners their names.

So, he's look under C. For Children.

He looked at the tabs on the file cabinets, going through ps and gs and finally working his way to a long line of cs. He tried the second cabinet to the right, and picked up a file. It started with cu, not what the Liquidator was looking for. He tried the next one of the left, the bottom file, and came up with Charters. A ch. He was getting close.

He flicked through the files until, wonder of wonders, he found the word "Children" on a file. He tugged it out and gazed at the entire title.

"Children's Mutation Serum?" Liquidator muttered. "What is that?"

"Hahahahahahaha."

The Liquidator's ears pricked and he turned, on alert. He saw nothing, but he stuck the file into his watery body, along with the package. "Who's there?" He growled.

"Do not bother looking around…Liquidator." A voice said. "You cannot see me."

The Liquidator hissed to himself. Another villain? It seemed so. There was something dark and foreboding about that voice, with its odd reverberation and sinister tone. It was hard to even tell the gender. He didn't like it. But it seemed that this new villain was right. The Liquidator could see no one. "Who are you?"

"I am the Voice. You have something I need, Liquidator. If you know what's good for you, you'll hand over that package. Its contents don't concern you."

"Let me think." The Liquidator smirked. "I don't believe that offer is very beneficial to the customer you are trying to sell it to!"

"Fool! Back off, or you and your friends might be hurt. Let me deal with SHUSH."

To the Liquidators shock he felt something impact his further portions of water. He turned around to face the spot, and noticed a depression, kind of like a shoe print. The Liquidator oozed a bit outwards and spread. He could feel himself washing over a pair of shoes, and those shoes showed a depression on the ground.

"It seems that at least your feet are able to support viewers like me, if not your whole body." The Liquidator smiled.

"I see. But you won't get away with that package. I still have you right where I want you."

"Do you?" The Liquidator shot a stream of water towards the feet, which didn't move, however, the blow didn't impact. The Liquidator cursed himself. Of course the Voice must have ducked! The Liquidator felt a relief of pressure on his water as the Voice leaped for him. He had a split second to move his middle with the package and the file to the right. He could feel an arm grasp for the two objects as he moved away. He turned and saw the faint outline of an arm dripping with water passing him by.

It was at that moment that Grizzlikof walked in with Negaduck, who looked faintly ticked. He looked even angrier when he saw the Liquidator.

"You!" Negaduck snarled. The Liquidator knew that he couldn't stay and fight all these people. His eyes slid to the side, and he noticed that there was a bathroom right there, across the hall. Complete with a little sign for men. The Liquidator swiftly turned and flowed towards the door, waving over the heads of both Grizzlikof and Negaduck, who screamed in rage and began to shoot at the Liquidator, who of course didn't feel any of the bullets. He sped for the nearest toilet, not the most glamorous of methods, and flowed into it. He turned to Negaduck and Grizzlikof with a grin.

"Here goes Likky, down the drain!" The Liquidator gave the two a jaunty salute, and flushed himself. He was careful to swish the bubble with the file and the package around, to make sure it went down the tubes. He swirled and whirled around in the pipes, going down and then up. To his relief he felt the tube widen, so he didn't have to worry as much about his prizes.

After a few hours of swishing he could feel himself approaching an opening, and he dumped out. He was annoyed to find that he had ended up in a polluted looking pond just outside St. Canard. He noted the green yuck oozing around him with a sigh.

"Ah, the glamorous life of a superhero! Enjoy the muck baths, garbage picking and slime dripping!" The Liquidator shook his head. "I need a hobby…"

* * *

><p>Marco jumped a bit as the door to the passenger seat of the car opened and closed, seemingly of its own accord.<p>

"Geez, boss, don't do that!"

"There's no time, Marco. Get us out of here. Now. We have a problem."

"A problem?" Marco asked as he gunned the motor and shot out of the alley.

"The Liquidator has the package."

Marco swore. "What are we going to do?"

The voice in the back seat laughed. "We'll get it back. No matter what it takes…"

* * *

><p>"Likky, I really don't like the idea of you going off alone." Megavolt gave the Liquidator a stern look, and the Liquidator struggled not to laugh. Megavolt had, not that long ago, swore up and down not to be dragged into a team, now he was acting like the big teamwork advocate. Plus, the Liquidator found it funny that he was being dressed down by a guy about ten years younger than him.<p>

"Look, I didn't want to wake up you or Quackerjack, you need your sleep." The Liquidator said.

"You can be such a mother hen." Megavolt rolled his eyes. "It's been three days. If I don't do something soon I'll crazy."

The Liquidator smiled. "Someone has to be there to keep you guys from doing stupid things."

"Oh, things like breaking into SHUSH headquarters and stealing documents and packages?" Quackerjack popped up from behind one of Bushroot's big ferns and gave the Liquidator an unusually stern look. Normally it was the other way around, but this time Quackerjack seemed genuinely peeved at the Liquidator's actions. To be fair, all three of his friends were. Megavolt was annoyed, that was clear in the way he held himself stiffly and rigidly, and his whiskers occasionally would spark. The Liquidator had a feeling that he had recently recharged. He was always irritable after recharging, especially since it took so long. Megavolt always let energy seep into him and his battery at a slower rate than electricity usually did, partly because he didn't want to black out the city and partly because he thought that sudden shocks were bad idea. Something about his brain frying. Bushroot also looked very irritated, though there was a look of sad disappointment on his beak as well. The Liquidator had a feeling he knew why. Bushroot was such a softy he honestly worried about each and everyone one of them when he was not with them. Personally the Liquidator though Bushroot was more the mother hen then he was. And then, of course, there was Quackerjack, who was openly glaring at the Liquidator. Probably because of all the times the Liquidator told him to get control of himself. However, the Liquidator knew the best way to get them all off his back. Okay, Bushroot and Quackerjack off his back.

"This could be about Hank." The Liquidator pulled out the file. "And Negaduck wanted this." He pulled out the package.

The three of them stared at him. Bushroot's sad look only deepened. Megavolt looked a bit confused, and Quackerjack suddenly tensed. The Liquidator knew that Quackerjack really really liked kids. Whenever you mentioned a child in danger, you might as well have switched a circuit in Quackerjack's brain. Any objectives that Quackerjack might have had before would be replaced by helping a kid in danger. So, the Liquidator knew that Quackerjack was now on his side one hundred percent. Bushroot, who couldn't even let an enemy suffer if he could help it, was also definitely behind him now. Bushroot really did have a soft heart, in the Liquidator's opinion, and while that didn't make him a good fighter, it did make him a good person. Megavolt, on the other hand, was a mystery to the Liquidator. He hadn't figured his newest friend out yet. Megavolt was a stranger still, and the Liquidator couldn't predict his actions. Part of the reason was that he and the Liquidator had to keep a certain distance from each other. Water and electricity didn't mix, so it made it hard for them to connect. The fact that the Liquidator had accidently caused another short circuit when he woke up Megavolt during the Gizmoduck incident hadn't endured the Liquidator to Megavolt at all.

"Who's Hank?" Megavolt asked.

Bushroot came over to Megavolt and whispered in his ear. Megavolt's eyes widened and he looked at the Liquidator with a sorrowful gaze. The Liquidator didn't even notice. He was staring at the file with hope. Would this really lead him to his son? He hoped. He gently opened the file and stared at the papers within. The first paper contained the formula number, thirteen, as well as a strange looking formula.

The Liquidator stared at the chemicals involved in this formula, and his eyes crossed. He had no idea what he was looking at.

"What is all this?" He asked to himself.

"Can I see that, Likky?" Bushroot asked. The Liquidator nodded and handed him the paper. Bushroot studied the ingredients and frowned. "This is…very complicated."

"What is it?" The Liquidator asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to run some tests." Bushroot said. "It might take a while to get all the components though."

"What does the rest of it say?" Megavolt asked.

The Liquidator looked over the other papers and gasped. "Subject one, deceased within five days of administration. Subject two, deceased within twelve days. It just goes on like that."

"Mutation…oh god!" Bushroot gasped. "Do you know what this means!"

"They were experimented on children. Mutating them. And…not all of them lived." The Liquidator hung his head and slumped. "Oh Hank…" He started a bit when Quackerjack slid over and placed his arm around the Liquidator's shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Quackerjack said with a gentle voice. The Liquidator sighed again. He knew that Quackerjack was trying to help, but it did little to cheer him up.

"Liquidator." Megavolt smiled and approached him, closer then he usually did. This was enough to make the Liquidator look up. Megavolt never got to close to him, due to the shorting out thing. "I know he's still alive!" Megavolt said.

"How?" The Liquidator asked, his voice choking up.

"Because if he's anything like you, he's bound to have survived." Megavolt said.

The Liquidator smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

* * *

><p>A few hours later Bushroot was still playing around with chemicals, muttering to himself and bustling around his makeshift lab. By this time, despite the fact that they were still sympathetic and supportive of the Liquidator, after a few hours they had decided to go and watch tv. The Liquidator, not knowing what to do, kind of oozed around between them and looking over Bushroot's shoulder. After a while he also tossed that package on Bushroot's lab table. He didn't really want to keep it inside his person. He knew very well that Bushroot didn't like him hovering over while the plan mutant did chemistry things, but on the other hand the Liquidator really wasn't in the mood to listen to Quackerjack and Megavolt argue about that bet again. He was going to strangle both of them soon. Or claim ten dollars from each of them and claim it a tie.<p>

"Are you getting close?" The Liquidator asked.

"I'm sorry, I just don't have the equipment here…" Bushroot sighed as the Liquidator cursed. "Hold on, I'm giving up yet. I can get the equipment."

"How?"

"I haven't lost all my contacts with the university, despite the fact that a lot of them think that I'm…you know." Bushroot shrugged. "I know a couple of guys who might help. Dr. Slug is pretty good at chemistry, and Dr. Fossil keeps a bunch of old equipment stored in this underground lab of his. He also is a brilliant geneticist."

"How soon until you can ask them?"

"Hey, we're on tv!" Quackerjack suddenly bellowed from the television room. Bushroot put down the test tube he'd been holding and motion the Liquidator to follow him. The Liquidator had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.

He walked into the room in Bushroot's greenhouse that had been officially declared the television room. Bushroot had originally used this other room as a kind of office, a place to keep his files for the university and to store his papers. Now all those papers had been moved, as he probably was never going to get around work or research ever again. He had eventually moved in a television and attached an old pair of rabbit ears to it. It only got local stations, but it worked. The office desk and chair that used to be there were now replaced by a couch and a mini fridge.

"Turn it up, and wiggle the rabbit ears. I can't see the reporter through all that static." Bushroot said.

"I still don't understand why you call tv antennae 'rabbit ears'." Megavolt muttered as he reached over and wiggled said "ears".

"It's just what my parent's called them." Bushroot shrugged as the screen sort of cleared up. The reporter's plastic grin stared up at them through the screen.

"This report just in, the rich socialite, Andrea Glitersson, is extending an official invitation to St. Canard's own freak circus to her annual summertime ball!"

"Really?" Quackerjack cocked his head. "Dad always had to kiss her parent's tail feathers to go…" He shuddered. "Stupid rich brats." He noticed the rest of them were staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"You know the Gliterssons?" Megavolt asked. "They're the oldest money in St. Canard!"

"Know em enough to wish I didn't." Quackerjack grumbled. "Did you know my toy company made more money than theirs ever did, but they still strut around like peacocks because they've been rich since the American Revolution? Robber barons." He grumbled.

"Hush." The Liquidator said as the aforementioned socialite began to speak. She didn't impress the Liquidator that much. For one thing she was wearing an expensive, and unnecessarily slinky, red dress and more makeup than your average mime. For another her beak was lifted so high if it rained she would drown in three minutes. The Liquidator knew that this person was one to avoid.

"In order to celebrate their _wonderful_," The Liquidator wondered if anyone else could hear the fact that the emphases was placing on her words was sarcastic. "Contributions to the peace and safety of St. Canard." The woman out and out posed. "I have _graciously_ decided to extend official invitations to the _individuals_ known as Megavolt, Quackerjack, Bushroot and the Liquidator." The Liquidator wondered if anyone else noticed the sniff of derision that she gave. "To this year's Summer Ball." She batted her eyes in what Liquidator assumed was supposed to be a flirty come hither look, but it looked like she was having an epileptic fit.

"It's a trap." All four of the heroes said at the same time. They looked at each other in mild surprise.

"I mean, I know that family." Quackerjack started. "You have to if you're born into a rich family, and I might be what they call new money, but when my great-grandpa started that company he made millions. I'm no McDuck…hell we aren't even Rockerducks." Quackerjack shrugged. "But I've been around enough of them to know that old money doesn't do favors."

"How rich was your family?" The Liquidator had to ask. He was curious.

"We bounced merrily from thirty ninth to fortieth on the 'richest duck' scale. That was out of fifty. It's in Forbes magazine. Or at least the back issues. Now that the company is gone I don't think we are on the list anymore." Quackerjack said. The Liquidator didn't like the look on Quackerjack's face. It was almost broody, and Quackerjack didn't brood. There was a bitter edge to it as well. The Liquidator didn't like it at all. It didn't seem to fit Quackerjack's face.

"We should go." Bushroot said.

"What?" Three heads stared at him.

"It's a trap, that's obvious, but why. And how? For what reason? We should go to spring it. The trap I mean."

Quackerjack frowned. "I don't like it. I mean, those things are dull. Really dull. And she," Quackerjack gestured at the still frozen face of the socialite on the screen. "wouldn't invite us to anything unless there was something in it for her. And I'm not sure I like the thought of what that something might be."

"A point. Still." Bushroot shrugged. "We should still check it out. Or at least you three should. I should work on getting that equipment for the Liquidator."

The Liquidator frowned. "I…I think we should all go. It sounds like more eyes would be better for this venture. I don't like the idea of going into a trap without all of us there to support one another."

"Are you sure Likky?" Quackerjack asked.

The Liquidator took a deep breath. No, he wasn't sure. He wanted to continue to work on the formula, but he knew that rushing Bushroot would do no good. Neither would abandoning the others when they might need him. He just couldn't do it.

Still, he knew that he wouldn't be able to rest easy for a long time.

* * *

><p>"So, how long do they make those limos?" Megavolt asked in a fascinated tone.<p>

"Longest I saw had a rubber accordion thing in the middle for going around corners. I think it belonged to a movie star." Quackerjack said wryly. "That's not the worst of it. You should see the gold plated yachts some of them have."

"Now I know why you're so crazy.' Megavolt muttered.

"I'm only crazy now that I'm poor. When you're rich you're just eccentric." Quackerjack laughed. The he frowned. "You know, before we go into Purgatory there, I gotta tell you guys how grateful I am of you. If I didn't have you guys I probably would have gone nuts after losing that company."

"Go?" Megavolt raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, more nuts. Probably bitter and angry too." Quackerjack amended. "You guys ready? There'll be more nostril viewing in there then you can take!"

"I can take any nostril that they can dish out." The Liquidator said. With that the four of them began to walk across the street. That had been huddling in the park across from the big, fancy looking building that this thing was being held in. The Liquidator thought it might be a house, or something like that, but it was way too big and decorated with gargoyles and flying buttresses and architectural quirks that the Liquidator probably couldn't even pronounce. They were in what was considered the old district of St. Canard, where the buildings were generally older and more expensive.

The doorman sniffed at them precociously, but as they were obviously who they said they were, unless the city had sprouted clones of them or something. The doorman looked like he wanted to toss them out, but then Quackerjack smiled.

"Hello Fred. How're the kids?"

The doorman looked like Megavolt had just shocked him. He squinted at Quackerjack and then gasped. "You…it's you!"

Quackerjack smiled a bit at the man's face. "Thought you'd never see me around here again?"

"What are you doing with these…these…people?" Fred the doorman glanced at the other three, and then looked back at Quackerjack.

"Ah, you know. What else was I going to do?" Quackerjack kept smiling as Fred sputtered. "I'm afraid I don't have anything to tip you with though. Spent my last penny on a roadside burger. But I'm sure you don't want hear about my financial troubles. Hey, if Ian has another party I'd be glad to come around. Have a nice night." The other three watched, bemused, as Quackerjack fired off all of this in a very speedy tone and hustled them through the doorway. Fred, who seemed more flabbergasted than anything else, gave them no more evil looks.

They walked down a red carpeted hallway, full of odd paintings, until Megavolt was sure that they were out of hearing range. "What the hell was that?" He asked Quackerjack.

Quackerjack's arms were clasped behind his back. He was looking at the ceiling with a smug look on his face. "My dad had to kiss tailfeathers to get into these, but he did get into them. He'd take me and Robert along when we were young. Of course, both of us started to cause trouble after a while. Robert once put whoopee cushions all around the place, back when he was young and actually remembered how to have fun. It was hilarious. Anyway, poor Fred always had to rein us in after a while, cause Dad was always too busy to watch us and make business connections at the same time."

"Doesn't it bother you that he knows who you are?" Megavolt asked.

"No. Unlike you, I don't need a secret identity. Negaduck already knows who I am, and I don't have any…" Quackerjack looked down, the brooding look back on his face. "You know. Besides, a lot of the people here have known me all my life. I'm going to be recognized, no matter what I do."

The Liquidator looked around at the paintings. Some of them were rather disturbing. There was one where a strange, small mouse holding a paintbrush was facing off against an indistinguishable figure with evil eyes. Another was of a shadowed figure holding a large key like a sword. It was impossible to tell what kind of creature the figure was. In another a mouse dressed like Sherlock Holmes was fighting a feral looking rat inside a huge clock tower. Another featured a lion wearing a kingly robe and crown was menacing a group of…odd creatures with no snouts or beaks to speak off. They looked almost like hairless apes of some sort. One of them was holding a star shaped pendent. The Liquidator noticed that were words on the star. He squinted to read them.

"Traguna…Mer…something. Tre…something something Dee." The Liquidator muttered. "Huh, people will put any kind of gibberish into these things."

His turned away from the painting, and his eyes landed on another. This one, this one was the worst of all. At first it seemed to the Liquidator to simply be a pair of glowing, fiery red eyes. Fiery in the literal since, there seemed to be actual furnaces in those eyes, but still they seemed to follow and watch the Liquidator. At the second glance the Liquidator saw that it was not just a black canvas, there were small, jagged lines drawn on the canvas, like cracks in stone. Within the cracks was more fire. It seemed to the Liquidator now that there was a face there, but he couldn't see what the face was like.

"You okay?"

The Liquidator turned and smiled at Bushroot, who was looking at him oddly. The Liquidator smiled. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Bushroot kept looking at him oddly, but didn't contradict the Liquidator. The pair of them continued on towards the end of the hall, where a pair of double doors awaited them. The Liquidator took the liberty of opening the door and walking through the threshold.

It had been a long time since the Liquidator was in high school, surrounded by people who stared at him and talked about him in low, teasing whispers. Now, however, a lot of those memories came rushing back to him. Every single well dressed person in that place stared at him and his friends with critical, judging eyes. The Liquidator suddenly felt that, even if this was not a trap, someone had certainly taken the time to humiliate them. Looking at the corner of his eyes the Liquidator could see Megavolt tense up, and he knew that Megavolt wanted to run, or storm out. Quackerjack looked slightly wilted, and for once he didn't fidget or bounce or anything. Bushroot just looked embarrassed.

All of a sudden the Liquidator felt an urge. He slid in front of his friends with a grin. "Introducing the heroes of this city, the people who put their lives, their safety and their souls on the line so the rest of you can throw parties like these! Introducing us, the-"the Liquidator realized that they never agreed on a team name of any kind, so he said the first one that came to his mind. "The Friendly Four!"

For a long minute the assembled crowd started at him, then almost as one they turned to each other and started to mutter in earnest. No one was uncouth enough to actually point and stare, but there was a lot of muttering.

"Likky…that was the best you could come up with?" Megavolt hissed.

"In two seconds? Yes."

"Ah well, there are worse names." Quackerjack shrugged. "Wanna go hit the buffet? I see the usual table over there by the windows over there." Quackerjack pointed to the left, and indeed right in front of a set of large windows was a table filled with odd looking food. "I don't know about you, Megs, but I want to go ahead and fill up here."

"Nice." Megavolt grinned. "Hey, you think it would be stealing if we took a doggy bag at the end of the night?"

"I think not." Quackerjack smiled, and the pair of them heading for the buffet. The Liquidator smiled as he followed them, amused by the conversation.

"Is that a fountain of chocolate over there?"

"Chocolate fondue, yes."

"Do you just stick your finger in?"

"No. See the fruit? Spear it with a fondue fork and stick it in the chocolate."

"Oh. What's that black stuff?" Megavolt frowned at the offending "black stuff."

"That's caviar."

"What?" Megavolt was puzzled.

"Fish eggs."

"What? Fish eggs?" Megavolt recoiled from Quackerjack, who was grinning. Quackerjack pointed to another plate. "That's escargot."

"…those are snails, right?" Megavolt blanched at Quackerjack's enthusiastic nod. Quackerjack grinned at him and daintily plucked a slug out of the plate and popped it in his mouth. Megavolt gagged. "Is there anything here normal?"

"This is normal."

"Burgers are normal. Hotdogs are normal. Slugs are not normal."

"That's chicken." Quackerjack pointed. "It's got a fancy sauce, but no slugs." Quackerjack smiled as Megavolt hurried to the most normal portions of food and took a plate, stuffing food on it with little heed to the looks his comments and behavior was getting. The Liquidator smiled as Megavolt rudely speared as much fruit as he could on a stick and shoved it in the chocolate fondue fountain. He kept it in there for almost three minutes, making sure there was plenty of chocolate.

"Are buffets usually involved in balls?" Bushroot asked as he tried to meet people's eyes. He knew that they were talking about them, and he wanted to make them as uncomfortable as possible. He didn't care about these people's opinion of them, but he didn't like to hear anyone slight his friends.

"No idea." Quackerjack smiled. "I don't think anyone would dare correct our gracious host if not." He rolled his eyes.

For a few minutes the Liquidator observed the participants of this…thing. Most of them were dancing along with the terrible croony music, which sounded to the Liquidator like something they used in elevators. Okay, so he didn't expect heavy metal at a ball, but at least have the decency to play good classical music or something like that.

"This music is worse than bagpipes." Bushroot said, voicing the Liquidator's thoughts.

Quackerjack nodded and grabbed more escargot, some poufy looking cheesy thing, fish and little shrimps. "Yeah, the music has always sucked."

"So, you must be Bushroot then?"

The three of them turned to face one of the guests, as Megavolt returned with his plate piled up so high the food leaned to one side. The person who had spoken was an older duck with a white beard, wearing a green kilt and hat. He was looking from Bushroot to Quackerjack, frowning as if trying to figure something out.

"Hi Mr. Glomgold, remember me?" Quackerjack grinned.

The other duck's eyes widened. "Why, it's you! So this is where you vanished to."

Quackerjack nodded. "Guys, this is Flintheart Glomgold, a friend of my father's. Former investor, actually. Sir, these are my friends."

"Investor?" Bushroot asked.

"I've invested in several companies, and I own a few of my own. Quackerjack Toys was just one of them, though it was my favorite. Your family was very refreshing."

"Thanks." Quackerjack said.

"Do you know everyone's here?" Megavolt asked as he popped several small squares of cheese into his mouth.

"Only the ones that took the time to talk to me." Quackerjack shrugged.

"I only come to these things to keep the peace. And it is rather amusing to watch them. It's almost as good as real entertainment." Glomgold frowned. "Truth be told I'd rather be out competing with old McDuck again. We're friendly business rivals, you see." He said in response to Bushroot's curious look. "Spent a lot of time trying to find sunken treasures or golden gooses before Scrooge. He usually wins, though." Glomgold shrugged. "But then again I was always more into the competition then winning." He then gave Bushroot a respectful look. "I heard about what you did for Scrooge. I have to thank you. We need more people like you four about. Heck, I could have used some people like you…"

"What's wrong?" Bushroot asked.

Glomgold shook his head. "I have a diamond cutting factory outside this city, but it keeps getting robbed."

"Tell us more." Megavolt said as he swallowed his cheese. "Maybe we can help."

Glomgold smiled at them. "I do have someone working on the case, but there haven't been any results yet…"

None of them saw the figure watching them, which quietly slipped out of the ballroom, and was soon gone.

* * *

><p>"Let's go, Marco, they're distracted here."<p>

"Are you sure we have the right greenhouse?" Marco asked as he pulled the car out of the driveway.

"Positive. That hood was one of Negaduck's." The Voice said.

I'm not sure about this. Why does this Negaduck never launch an attack on these four?" Marco asked. "I mean, if they are his rivals…"

"I don't know. Professional courtesy maybe?" The Voice said.

"Are you sure that they're villains?" Marco asked suspiciously.

"…I will admit that it's just a feeling I have. Still, this is too important to leave in the hands of disreputable people."

"You mean the same people who fight this Negaduck all the time?" Marco said wryly. "The same people who apparently are popular enough with the public that Andrea Glitersson agreed that bringing them in would be a great public relations stunt?" Marco shook his head. "How did you manage that?"

"I'm good with people."

"Yeah. Right." Marco rolled his eyes. "Being in her tax bracket helps as well, I guess."

"Just a bit, Marco…are you upset?" There was concern in the Voices…um voice.

"Not about the tax bracket."

He stayed silent the rest of the way to where his boss had told him their destination was. He couldn't see the Voice, of course. Right now his boss was in full blown "Voice mode", which seemed to require the entire invisibility package, complete with creepy voice. Marco didn't like it, but that was how things were for him.

They finally made it to the road near the greenhouse. Slowly Marco parked the car and got out.

"I don't want you to come with me. I'm going into the lair of a possible enemy."

"Which is why I am coming with you." Marco said as he pulled out a gun from under the seat of his car.

"If you insist, Marco. I'll be right beside you."

Knowing that the Voice would do just that, Marco began to sneak towards the greenhouse. He could kind of hear a second set of footsteps beside his own. If he didn't know who it was he probably would have been afraid of it. But he knew that it was just his old friend and employer.

As he came closer Marco began to hear…barking.

"Do they have a dog?" Marco asked.

As he spoke Spike burst from the door of the greenhouse, slobbering and howling in anger at the intruders. Spike could sense there were two people here, although he knew one of them was trying to cloak itself somehow. Though Spike did verbalize, okay he made sounds; he also had the same telepathy as the other plants.

_Brother! Home! Intruders!_

_What!_

_Two strangers!_

_We'll be right there. Hold on Spike!_

Spike growled and lunged at intruders, snapping in anger. He lunged at the one without the cloak, the weaker one. He snapped at the funny smelling thing the intruder held, and almost managed to swallow it. While he did it he issued his own mental commands to the trees and plants, who knew now that there home was being threatened.

Now, it was true that Negaduck knew vaguely where Bushroot's greenhouse was, having figured it out after the mutant had made his first appearance. He knew that the plant creature had to be the same one from the university, and a little look at the files the university had on Reggie Bushroot told him the address of his house, which was empty, and the greenhouse property. However, every time Negaduck tried to attack the plants would counter, and while he could have rallied his forces and wiped it out, he just didn't want to spend the resources needed for a siege, at least not now.

Several creepers crept towards the intruders, attempting to wrap themselves around Marco's ankles. Marco squeaked and started to shot at him. This served to do absolutely nothing at all, save make the creepers creep even further towards them. A tree burst through the door of the building and reached a branch towards Marco, who by now was backing away and trying to brush the creepers off of him.

"Marco! The roof!"

Marco dashed to the side of the greenhouse, and saw a rope that had not been there before. He used it to attempt to pull him up. He pushed against the ground, and somehow managed to scramble onto the roof, using the rope. The creepers began to slide up the side of the greenhouse, while the trees started to circle like sharks.

"I knew this was a bad idea."

"Yeah, it really was. You picked the wrong place to rob, pal."

Marco grimaced and turned as four figures leaped from a helpful tree branch onto the roof of the greenhouse. He had a pretty good idea who these people were.

"Any particular reason you're on my roof?" The green plant mutant, Bushroot, Marco remembered, said in an annoyed tone.

The Voice laughed, and even Marco felt a small chill go up his spine. That laugh was just freaky.

"Make no move towards my friend, any of you." The Voice said in a cold tone. "I have a gun I and I will shoot you."

"What? Who's there?" Megavolt asked.

"You can't see her? She's right there." Quackerjack pointed at the air a few steps away from Marco, who gaped at the clown.

"You can see her?" He asked. No one could ever see the Voice when she did her invisibility trick!

"Yeah? So?"

The Voice laughed again. "You are the first person who has ever seen me before. That is unusual."

The Liquidator smiled. "That must mean you're not really invisible at all. It's some sort of trick."

"I have the ability to cloud the minds of others. It must mean that your friend has a strong will."

"I don't know." Quackerjack said. "I am supposed to be crazy. Maybe it's just that my mind is already clouded enough that a few more on the horizon doesn't make a lot of difference."

"Still, you can see me. You can see quite well that I am indeed holing a gun, can't you?"

"Actually, I see you holding two." Quackerjack said mildly. He didn't seem very concerned with this.

"I don't want to kill you. Any of you. Just return that package to me, and we can all walk away from this. The long arm of the-"

"No monologue!" Quackerjack interrupted. "I hate when villains monologue!" With that Quackerjack pulled out a few red bouncy balls that lit on fire when he flipped a switch on them. He tossed them at what appeared to the others to be thin air, but the bounced back towards them. The Voice had probably knocked them back.

"I am no-"

"No monologue!" Quackerjack interrupted as he jumped towards the area where the others now assumed the Voice must be, attempting to kick. It was kind of strange, seeing Quackerjack fight something he could see, but the others could not. They could see him kick once, punch twice, toss a few chattering teeth, and dodge a few times from whatever was there. Even Marco was staring at the scene in puzzlement. None of them were sure what to do at this point. Both the Voice's friend and the other three were afraid of hitting the wrong person, especially since one of them was invisible.

Then, as if the Voice needed to prove herself to the others, two gunshots rang out. Quackerjack leaped away in confusion, as if he hadn't been expecting the Voice to use her weapons. For a second the Liquidator thought that he had been hit, but he didn't see any blood. Instead he felt some of his water leaking somewhere. He looked down, and noticed that the greenhouse roof had two holes. And, to make it worse, huge cracks were forming.

"Oh. No." The Liquidator said, as the glass shattered, and the combatants dropped down onto the floor. At once they heard several crunching noises, and the Liquidator turned to see a trail of broken glass being crunched by invisible feet. They were aimed straight for the package that the Liquidator had left on Bushroot's table. He had no idea why this weirdo wanted that thing, but he wasn't giving it up!

He grabbed it about the same time that the Voice did. They tugged back and forth, neither willing to give it up, until the package ripped straight down the middle.

With cheerful glittery luminescence, hundreds of uncut diamonds spilled on the ground, sparkling in the moonlight. The Liquidator stared at the diamonds, his mouth open. He lifted his eyes and shot a look at where he thought the Voice was. "So this is what you're after! You're a diamond thief!"

"I most certainly am not!" The Voice sounded affronted. "I'm trying to save those gems from miscreants like you!"

"Miscreants! We're the heroes here!" Quackerjack snarled.

"Forgive me if I don't believe that three mutants and an insane asylum refugee are heroes." The Voice said.

"You should talk! You're a disembodied voice with a creepy laugh! And guns! Why do you have guns! You could hurt someone with those!" Bushroot said.

"That's the entire point of having a gun." Came the matter of fact response.

"You could have shot Quackerjack at any time, but you didn't" Megavolt said through narrowed eyes.

"I don't want to hurt people, but sometimes it is necessary when dealing with the criminal element." The Voice said.

"You mean to tell us you're one of the good guys?" Quackerjack laughed. "Pull the other one!"

"I was hired by Flinheart Glomgold to get to the bottom of his missing diamonds. When you took them from SHUSH I assumed you were the go between for them, Liquidator."

"I don't work for SHUSH." The Liquidator growled.

"Perhaps not. You seemed genuinely surprised at their presence." The Voice seemed to be pondering.

"I'll tell you who was supposed to get these, Negaduck!" The Liquidator said. "He's the one you should be after!"

There was a long silence from the Voice. Finally, the laughter echoed again.

"Perhaps I should take your suggestion! I'll take that!" The Voice snatched the other end of the package.

"She's running away!" Quackerjack said, and moved to follow the Voice. Unfortunately, Marco, who had been edging near the door of the greenhouse, shot at a hanging potted plant and shattered the pot, dumping dirt, cracked pot, and a scared ivy onto Quackerjack's head. Quackerjack fell, dazed by the impact of the portions of cracked pot.

Megavolt and the Liquidator followed the fleeing Marco out the door, while Bushroot went to help Quackerjack and the plant. The Liquidator watched Megavolt warily, making sure that he didn't touch and hurt his friend. The two of them raced after Marco, who leaped into a big, old looked black car and sped away.

"You go below, I go above." Megavolt said, and the Liquidator nodded, turning as thin as he could, washing over the ground after the tires.

Still, despite their best efforts, the two of them were eventually left behind.

* * *

><p>Negaduck was in a rage, and everyone in his gang knew that when Negaduck was in a rage, bad things were bound to happen. Apparently Hooter had not been pleased by the fact that the Liquidator had infiltrated SHUSH, and was blaming it on Negaduck. While Negaduck didn't like the other crime lord, and he didn't like being chewed out by a person he saw as little more than a future obstacle to be stomped on his way to the top. However, there was little he could do to destroy Hooter, at least right now. So he had to put up with Hooter's demands. It rubbed him the wrong way even in the best of times, and this was not the best time.<p>

The news that the newly christened "Friendly Four" had been invited to a ball didn't help Negaduck's mood.

"Where is my flamethrower! I'm going to roast those rich knobs in their own fancy smancy crude oil!" Negaduck screamed, trying to find his flamethrower. It was missing, and that wasn't helping his mood either. "If you don't find my chainsaw _right now_ I'll pluck your eyeballs out of you skull and replace them _with Christmas lights_!"

Several gang members, even Lamont, cowered. Only Launchpad didn't cower, but that might be because he was wearing his usual dumb expression. It was hard to tell if Launchpad didn't cower because he wasn't afraid, or because he was just dumb.

"Friendly Four! Friendly Four!" Negaduck snarled. "They couldn't have picked up a worse name if they had asked the Cute Little Lost Bunnies themselves!" Negaduck snarled as he dug through a box filled with weapons. A Uzi, a .22, a few frag grenades (which Launchpad caught for fear of blowing up), a shotgun, a machine gun, a Glock, a few chainsaws, a lead pipe, two rubber duckies, a computer monitor, a small toy with small parts that would choke a toddler, a kitchen sink, a brain in a jar, a mask, a katana, a broadsword, a bow with no string, a slingshot missing its rubber thing, another kitchen sink, a nut, a pair of watches, and yes even a kitchen sink, all flew through the air. "And these are my arch rivals!" Negaduck had disappeared into the box, climbing in to toss the kitchen sink out. "I'm embarrassed to even be called their enemy!"

"I thought you were always embarrassed by them." Launchpad said mildly.

"Launchpad, _why do we have all these kitchen sinks_!" Negaduck asked as he pulled out another and tossed it to the ground.

"Have you seen the bathrooms?" Launchpad asked.

"Not recently."

"There's your reason." Launchpad ignored Negaduck's glare.

"Alright, that's it! You knobs!" He pointed at the huddling gang members. "Go and get me flamethrowers! I want flamethrowers! NOW! GET!" The huddled mass of thugs scrambled to the exits, going to beg, borrow, or most likely steal, flamethrowers. Only Launchpad remained where he was, a serene look of stupid on his face.

Negaduck was still fuming even after his thugs were gone. He was pacing around, fists clenched and eyes narrowed, looking for something to hit. He never hit Launchpad, nor did he ever take a shot at him. No one knew why, as he was perfectly willing to shot or hit his other thugs all the time. But he didn't hit Launchpad.

Negaduck was still wearing a hole in the floor when all of a sudden someone laughed. It was echoy, haunting laugher, and Negaduck remembered it. He remembered hearing it before he walked into SHUSH's records room. He snatched up a fallen pistol and made sure it was loaded.

"Who's there?" He snarled.

"It is no use to look for me…Negaduck." Negaduck snorted at the Voice's dramatic pausing. He had always hated people who did that. "You cannot see me." The Voice sounded very smug.

"Oh, trust me; I can still kill you, even if I can't see you." Negaduck snarled.

"I know what evil lurks in the hearts of ducks." The Voice intoned. "I am the Voice."

"Cute name." Launchpad snorted. Negaduck didn't even look at him. Instead, he whirled around and shot the gun. A grunt was heard, and a bit of blood spurted into the air, apparently from nowhere.

"You really think a little thing like invisibility can stop Negaduck?" Negaduck laughed. "I can tell where you are just by listening!"

"Wait! I'm here to give you something!" The Voice said.

"Really?" Negaduck laughed. "This had better be good, for your sake!"

"I have the package from SHUSH, stolen by the Liquidator. I will give it to you, Negaduck, for the right price."

Negaduck laughed. "You really think you can bargain with me? Me! You're in my lair, coward!"

"You got lucky. You cannot see me. You are helpless, Negaduck." The Voice was hypnotic, almost soothing, as if…

Negaduck snarled and shook his head. His eyes widened. "I've heard of this before. You think you can hypnotize me? I'm Negaduck!" The crime lord snarled and shot again, and once again blood flew through the air. It wasn't enough to be deadly, by Negaduck's guess he was just clipping the Voice. Still, he knew that he was unnerving the Voice, and as long as he kept the mental upper hand he would keep the physical upper hand as well.

All of a sudden the doors to the warehouse hideout burst open and Lamont, followed by two thugs dragging a struggling Marco between them. Negaduck stared as the two thugs brought Marco forwards.

"We found him snooping around, boss!" One of the thugs said. Negaduck grinned and pointed the gun at Marco's head.

"Okay, Voice." Negaduck said, earning him a few flabbergasted looks. "How about this deal? You give me my package, and I'll let this guy live.

"What makes you think he is with me?" The Voice said.

"Suit yourself." Negaduck grinned and fired. The Voice cried out in shock, and it was apparent she didn't expect him to actually do it.

"Marco! No!" The Voice shouted, and Negaduck laughed in glee. However, before the bullet could strike Marco's head a wall of water sprang up and solidified to a strange yellow color. The bullet bounced off the hard water, and fell to the ground.

Negaduck screamed in rage as a bolt of lightning shot out of the doorway and almost struck him. He fired at Megavolt, who dispelled some electricity, vaporizing the bullets. the Liquidator lashed out at Negaduck, slapping the gun out of his hand. Quickly the Liquidator pooled around the room, washing the rest of the weapons, and the sinks, out the windows. Meanwhile, Megavolt had shocked two of the thugs and was busy shocking Lamont, who had found a wooden board as was trying to brain the rat. Megavolt ducked his blows and sent a shock of electricity at Lamont's gut. He went down hard. Megavolt grabbed Marco and started to help him out.

"Voice! Get out! We have to go."

"I'm leaving!" Footsteps were heard, and Megavolt jerked as something grabbed Marco's other arm and helped him push the poor falcon out of the warehouse, and out of danger.

As Megavolt and the Voice were doing that, the Liquidator was fighting Negaduck in earnest, as the crime lord was trying to get to his victims. They traded blows, or at least tried to. Every blow Negaduck made didn't hurt the Liquidator, but none of his blows did much to the nimble Negaduck, who dodged all of his watery punches.

"What do you want diamonds for?" The Liquidator asked. Negaduck laughed.

"You really think I'll tell you, Mr. Friendly?" Negaduck asked with a disgusted look. "All you need to know is soon I'll be ruling this city! Negaduck suddenly jumped back, and Launchpad suddenly appeared, driving what appeared to be a huge craft shaped like a duck's head, specifically Negaduck's head. The Liquidator hadn't noticed Launchpad's departure, and he cursed himself for it. The hanger of the craft opened and Negaduck placed a foot inside.

"Soon, I will run this place, and then you and your little friends have nowhere to run!" With another laugh Negaduck ducked into his craft, and the thing's rockets fired, bearing Negaduck away.

Still, the Liquidator was sure that he could hear Negaduck laughing, even from down here.

* * *

><p>The Liquidator found Marco and Megavolt on the side of the road. The falcon was apparently no worse for wear, though a small puddle of blood was forming where the Voice must be.<p>

"Are you insane!" The Liquidator shouted at the puddle. "You could have been killed! You could have gotten your friend killed! You can't cut a deal with Negaduck! He doesn't do deals!"

"I…am sorry." The strange reverberation, the cocky tone and the mocking laughter, was gone from the Voice's…voice. She sounded subdued, and small, almost as if she had been crying.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" The Liquidator screamed. "What kind of immature, overconfident, stupid child are you!"

"Likky, enough." Megavolt considered the puddle. "How…long have you been doing this."

"Including today? Two days." The Voice said. "This is the first time I ever…tried this."

"Well, we all start somewhere." Megavolt said. He seemed to understand something that the Liquidator didn't get. "First off, this isn't like the comics or the television or the books. Negaduck will kill you, he's a serious villain. You should start small, with bank robbers and stuff like that. You also need to learn to stop showboating. Or at least learn when to showboat and when to get dangerous. If you don't you'll get into a situation you can't get out of!"

"I see." The Voice said.

"Hey," Megavolt tried to grab the air, and his eyes widened. "Ummm, I was going for your shoulder."

"You managed to find a place a bit more personal than that, Sparky." The Voice said wryly.

"Eh…well…anyway…" Megavolt let his hand drop to his side. "I…forgot what I was going to say."

"That's alright." The voice sighed. "I'm sorry I put you in danger. And I'm sorry I misjudged you. I just…my father used to have cassette tapes about a man that would fight evil using the power to cloud men's minds. I left to find that power, and I did, eventually. This city, it's gotten so worse since I left, that I just wanted to help it. Like the character in that old radio show. I'm afraid I made a hash out of it."

"You just need practice, and a good deal of common sense." Megavolt said. "Look, don't be afraid to look us up, if you ever need help."

"I'll do that. Thank you Megavolt." The Voice said.

"Yeah, and you're also bleeding." Marco said as he stood up. He looked at the Liquidator and Megavolt "Thanks for the help, but I need to get her home."

"Yes, he's right. Thank you both. Please apologize to your friends for me." The Voice said. They saw the car door open and close, as the Voice got in the car. Marco gave them one last friendly nod and got into the driver's seat. Soon the pair of them were gone in a cloud of black smoke from the exhaust pipe.

"That is such an environmental hazard of a car." The Liquidator said. He looked at Megavolt. "You seemed awfully tolerant of her." He said.

Megavolt shrugged. "Let's just say she reminds me of someone." He turned to the Liquidator. "Was that a duck head I saw flying overhead?"

"Yeah, Negaduck has a new toy." The Liquidator said.

"That can't be good." Megavolt said.

* * *

><p>Later that night Bushroot and the Liquidator found themselves at Bushroot's lab, bent over a sack of papers.<p>

"I'll drop these off at Doctor Fossil's tomorrow." Bushroot said. "I'm sure he can help more then I can. He's a geneticist."

"Great." The Liquidator looked troubled. "What do you think Negaduck is planning?"

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling." Bushroot said. "What are we going to do about it?"

"I don't know." The Liquidator was beginning to hate that phrase, but it was true. "I'll see you tomorrow, Reggie."

"Take your time." Bushroot said. "I'll probably take Quackerjack with me. He's a little angry about losing the Voice after being the only one able to see her, and I think the walk will do him good. Plus, I think you and Megavolt need to work together more. You two are practically strangers."

The Liquidator was not looking forwards to that. "Alright." He said. He flowed up towards the still shattered greenhouse roof. He pooled himself away from the broken glass, still looking droopy and depressed. he looked up at the clouds and wondered if Hank was out there. Alive. Safe. Waiting for his father to come save him. He wished he knew where his son was. He sighed.

"I'll find you Hank, I promise."

Somewhere, far away, but closer then the Liquidator would think, a pair of familiar brown eyes looked up at the moon from his cell. A small boy, barely older than ten, allowed himself to cry, just a little bit. He didn't think the SHUSH agents would care about silent tears in the dark.

"Dad, where are you…"

* * *

><p>AN: I don't know why I keep including Ducktales characters. Maybe it's because I needed someone to own the diamonds, but didn't want another oc running around. Marco and the Voice were enough for this chapter. Yes, in the Negaverse Glomgold is Scrooge's friendly rival, not an enemy. (almost makes me want to spin off a Negaverse Ducktales, just to see what it would do.). You can also bet Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys are nice in the Negaverse as well. Of course, that would make Duckworth, Mrs. Beakely and Webby as villains. Actually, I think you could turn Webby into Shrieky from Care Bears with little effort. That does sound kinda fun…

The paintings in the hall are all referencing other Disney products. The first two are the games Epic Mickey and Kingdom Hearts. The second two are The Great Mouse Detective (worth a watch on its own merits, but bonus points for not being afraid to put in beer, cigars and strippers in a kids movie. No, they don't show anything.). The last one is a movie near and dear to my heart, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. The star is the Star of Astoroth, and it's supposed to read: Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee, the Subsitutiary Locomotion spell, which moves things. Harry Potter before Harry Potter was around. Great old movie. It's a bit like Mary Poppins.

Now, I know in this fic I did have the plants act almost independently off Bushroot, something that they don't do in the series. There's a reason for this. Nega-Bushroot is a bit more advanced than normal Bushroot. Here is the reason: Bushroot, despite the fact that is probably the most sympathetic of the Fearsome Five, he's also the most self centered, and not at all empathic. If you notice he never really seems to see, and rarely acknowledges, the way Spike helps and supports him. Yeah, he says he wants a friend, but it seems to me to go only one way with him. Take the episode where Gosalyn turned into a slime monster. He was willing to experiment on her to get more friends, not really a friendly thing to do at all. I think that, for all the sympathy he receives, normal Bushroot lacks a certain level of empathy and the ability to feel for others. Now, Nega-Bushroot has this quality in spades, which is why the plants work a bit better for him. He's able to feel more for others, not just demand that they feel for him, therefore the plants are livelier as they are influenced by his emotions. Hope yall like my alternate character interpretation. It made sense to me.

Speaking of weird variations of characters, since all we know about Quackerjack is a few basic facts, I did choose to make stuff up about his past. I don't know why I chose to go the way I did, but it felt right to me.

As to why the Friendly Four didn't do the obvious option of looking on the internet for evidence of Hank, and why the Liquidator didn't try to hack into the computer room, well there is a simple explanation. The original Darkwing Duck was aired in the nineties. Now, there was internet, but not as prevalent as it was then. Plus, the youngest of them, Quackerjack, is about twenty two years old. He'd have grown up in the eighties, with no internet. As for the Liquidator, he probably is in his thirties, as he does have a ten year old kid. Computer hacking is probably not one of the skills a water salesman learns, as well as the fact that it probably would never occur to him. In order to keep this kind of parallel to the time period the original Darkwing Duck aired, this is also set in the nineties. So, not going to be much internet (unless I decide to rip off Tron in the near future).

You know what I wish the comics would answer? How the entire Darkwing Duck universe warped from 1994 technology to 2011 technology in the in cannon year between the last Darkwing episode and the first comic. Yeah, I know they have to reach the new generation, but that's a pretty interesting leap there.

I know that this really didn't come out as a Shadow story, mostly because instead of following the Voice it followed the Friendly Four as they interacted with the Voice, which is like following the peripheral characters in a Shadow adventure. Besides, it's kind of hard to translate a radio show onto a fanfic, and this is the first time I tired, so this probably comes off as less then my best. Still, I hope I will improve if the Voice ever makes a return appearance.

The title of the chapter, as well as a certain line in the story, comes from the Shadow's opening phrase in the radio show: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows" *cue crazy laughter*. I don't own that catchphrase.

_Next time: Bushroot and Quackerjack go to find Dr. Fossil, but instead they fall under the influence of a horrible genetic experiment, leaving the Liquidator and Megavolt to battle a prehistoric terror all alone. Can the two opposing elements ban together to defeat the evil monstrous terror that is…Stegmutt?_


	5. Memory

An Author's Note: As usual, it's time for the reviewer count! My personal writer's superstition! It's at three, though I am pretty sure there are more of you reading. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to review and read. Especially the reading part. Reviews are nice, but they are not required.

Chapter Five

Memory

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!"

Dr. Fossil cringed back in his cage as the big beast lunged again at him, narrow snout poking between the bars at it snapped and drooled on the floor. The creature's trunk shaped legs and long claws attempted to reach through and gore Dr. Fossil, but he managed to avoid the huge feet. And to think, not two months ago this thing had been a harmless cat, and one month before that he had still, in many ways, remained with the mind of a cat. Now, however, its mind had regressed along with its body, devolved into this horrible monster.

"Oh Fluffy, what has he done to you!" Dr. Fossil said sadly.

"I'm really going to have to think of a better name for him. What kind of name is Fluffy?" A huge figure with a ridge of leaf shaped spines, like those of stegosaurs, fiddled around with a gun shaped device in his hand.

"You'll never get away with this, Stegmutt." Dr. Fossil snarled.

"Oh please, couldn't you think of something a little more original, you idiot." Stegmutt growled. He shook his head. "It's not like I'm not grateful to you. Your mind accelerator is what gave me my big brain, after all. And this Retro-Evolution Gun of yours," Stegmutt lifted the device. "Gave me enough brawn to go with the brains. It's all thanks to you."

"I should never have created that thing for you." Dr. Fossil said.

Stegmutt chuckled. "Like I said, I'm grateful, but…" Stegmutt loomed closer. "If you don't want me to slam you into a few more walls, you'll keep your big beak shut. You understand me, Doc?"

Dr. Fossil stared glumly at the former duck. Who would have thought such a simple minded janitor could have housed such a monster inside? He was just about to say something more when a dong like sound began to echo through the underground lab.

Stegmutt grinned. "I wonder who that could be. I don't think that many people knew about your lab, and not well enough to know about that doorbell of yours." He lifted the Retro-Evolution Gun with a grin. "Let me see, who am I going to add to my little gang?"

"You can't experiment on people! It's immoral!"

Stegmutt gave him an exasperated look. "Nice thought, you should have considered that before you decided to become a mad scientist."

"I'm not mad! Well…I'm mad at you, but that's it!"

Stegmutt chuckled and lumbered away, his huge tail slapping the top of Dr. Fossil's cage with a dismissive flick. Stegmutt whistled, and Fluffy followed like a loyal hound, his own tail swinging back and forth.

Dr. Fossil leaped to the side of the cage and strained his ears, listening to Stegmutt rumble towards the door. When that door opened he would scream, and hopefully whoever was there would run. He hoped so.

Dr. Fossil heard the door opening. He screamed a scream that was more like a screech. He heard voices, concerned voices, coming from the direction of the doorway. To late he realized that by doing this he might not have scared off his guests at all, but lured them in. Guilt stabbed at his heart as he heard two pairs of feet rushing to his position.

"No! Get out of here! He'll get you!" Dr. Fossil screamed.

"Doctor? It's me! It's Reggie!" The door to the underground lab opened and a strange creature burst through, a creature that Dr. Fossil had seen before. Still, though he knew who this was, Dr. Fossil still backed away from the cage and into the shadows.

"Reggie? Get out, Reggie! He'll turn you into a monster!"

"Hey, that's not nice! Bushy's just fine as he is!" To Dr. Fossil's shock Quackerjack came in after Bushroot. The duck was even more unsettling then Bushroot's plant form, as clowns always kind of creeped Dr. Fossil out. It was an odd, slight phobia he had after an incident with a clown in a sewer drain obsessed with floating things. Still, he remembered from Bushroot's last visit that Quackerjack was pretty harmless, as long as you were not a villain.

"Look, if you two don't leave he-"

"Shut up, Fossil."

Dr. Fossil cringed as Stegmutt came rumbling in, two gun like devices aimed at the two in front of him. One was the Retro-Evolution Gun, the other was the mind accelerator…turned on reverse.

"Hello." Stegmutt grinned and fired. Bushroot and Quackerjack leaped out of the way, and Stegmutt swung his tail at Quackerjack, bringing them to the ground as he leaped. Quackerjack tossed his signature teeth at Stegmutt. To Quackerjack's shock Stegmutt didn't appear to feel it. Instead, Stegmutt grinned and fired his two weapons, both of them hitting Quackerjack at the same time. Quackerjack screamed and writhed on the ground and his body began to shift and change.

Bushroot growled and lunged for Stegmutt, who swung his tail and wacked the plant mutant back. He fired his weapons again, and it was Bushroot's turn to transform, for the second time in his life.

Dr. Fossil watched in horror as Stegmutt smiled as his new followers. The mutant stegosaur thumped his tail on the ground, and the two creatures that had been Quackerjack and Bushroot stood up and walked over to him, hissing swinging their new tails, claws clicking on the ground. Stegmutt barked at them, and pointed at Dr. Fossil. He had to once again cringe back in his cage as the two lunged for him, hissing and snapping. There was no longer even a hint of their former personalities in their reptilian eyes.

"Now." Stegmutt said as his three saurian creations hissed and growled around him. "Let's go have some fun."

* * *

><p>"Likky, I don't think pacing like that is going to make Bushroot and Quackerjack come back any faster." Megavolt said as he watched the Liquidator, who was pacing around. The poor man was tying himself into knots with anxiety. Not that Megavolt could blame him. This might help them find the Liquidator's son after all. Megavolt didn't like the thought of SHUSH getting their nasty claws on children. Who knew what horrible things might be happening to them. Still, SHUSH was a very secret organization, and it didn't seem likely that there would be much left of…well of anything. Megavolt didn't voice this opinion to the Liquidator, or anyone else for that matter. He didn't want to hurt the Liquidator, and he knew that even if they did find Hank dead at the very least that would be closure for the Liquidator.<p>

"I can't. They've been gone for hours!" The Liquidator said.

"Maybe they had to convince this Dr. Fossil guy to help them." Megavolt said. "I mean, it's not every day a plant mutant and a clown show up at your door asking you to help them find out what a formula from an evil organization is for."

"No, I've meet him before. He knows about Bushroot. A while ago Bushroot wanted to reconnect with his old friends, and Quackerjack and I helped him. Dr. Fossil was one of them. It was actually pretty easy to convince him that Bushroot wasn't a killer. He's a reasonable guy, from what I saw."

"Still, seeing that pair appear on your doorstep has got to be a shock. And, other than that, who knows how long it was take him to figure out what that formula is for. It might take days."

"If it takes days then they would be back here!" The Liquidator snarled. "They'd come back and tell us what is going on! You need to keep your customers updated on the progress of you product!"

"That's why Bushroot and Quackerjack would make bad business men." Megavolt said. "I mean, could you imagine Quackerjack in a cooperate office."

"His family did own a toy company."

"That was his older brother." Megavolt said. "I mean, maybe if he took things seriously for once in his life he might be able to get some things done."

The Liquidator chuckled. "That's just what his brother used to say."

"How do you know?" Megavolt asked suspiciously.

"I've known Quackerjack a year longer then you." The Liquidator said, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, but-"Megavolt was about to purse the subject when the police radio they had for emergencies beeped to life.

"Alert! Alert. A…um…" there was static and the shouting of voices, as well as indistinct, but savage, roaring. "Dinosaurs! We have dinosaurs attacking the St. Canard City Bank!"

The Liquidator and Megavolt shot each other disbelieving glances. "Dinosaurs?" Megavolt said.

"I…um…" The Liquidator shrugged. "Let's go over there and see. Maybe Phyros ate something and grew to giant size."

"Oh I hope not." Megavolt muttered.

The two of them sped away, Megavolt staying as far away as politely possible from the Liquidator. He knew the pair of them were a bad team. Megavolt preferred to work with either Bushroot or Quackerjack. He preferred to work with Bushroot out of all of them, because the plant mutant was the most even tempered of them all. He and Quackerjack just usually ended up arguing about the most inane things, and even though he could admit that it didn't change the fact that the clown just rubbed him the wrong way. He couldn't help but fight with Quackerjack, and it seemed like Quackerjack just couldn't stop fighting with him. Still, the two of them seemed to click in battle, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow right that they be on the same team. Still, they still fought. Despite this, however, Megavolt just plan didn't like to be around the Liquidator. It was irrational, and was mostly a case of being once bitten, twice shy. The Liquidator wasn't a bad guy, but the stuff he was made off shorted out Megavolt badly, and he hated to be shorted out.

Megavolt was aware, on a basic level, that having too much or too little electricity stored inside of him was bad, after two truly terrifying incidents when he was a teenager. He had accidently slipped into a pond, and shorted out. When he woke up he realized that he couldn't remember who he was or where he was or what he had been doing. The feeling of having his mind basically wiped by that terrified him, so he avoided water wherever he could. That hadn't happened the very first time he had shorted out, and that terrified him even more. He thought that it might get worse with every dip he took, but that wasn't really a theory he wanted to test. The second incident was when he tried to recharge the first time. He hadn't even tried to control the electricity he siphoned, and the effect was a rush of power, but also a jolt of something into his brain. Once again he couldn't remember where he was for a while, and from then on he was determined to keep his energy siphoning slow and steady. His mind didn't need to be any more fried then it already was. His memory was poor enough now without turning it into Swiss cheese.

Still, he had feeling this discomfort with the Liquidator might be affecting the team as a whole. Sure he argued with Quackerjack, but there wasn't that much tension between them anymore, at least not after the night he told Quackerjack his real name. The fighting was simply something the two of them did, as if by unspoken agreement, and the tension was gone. However, though they didn't fight at all, there was a lot of tension between himself and the Liquidator. Megavolt didn't know if it was his fault or not. But it was there, and he didn't like it.

Megavolt climbed a telephone pole and started to skate. He wondered if he may need to get a better mode of transportation. He thought he would really like a car of some sort, maybe something with stripes. Something electrical. Yeah, that would be cool.

They made it to the bank, to the sight of several police cars blocking the steps up to the building. Megavolt recognized the Four's friend, Officer Bulba, standing there with a megaphone and a slightly incredulous expression. Beside him trembled Officer Hannigan, who looked petrified as usual. Megavolt's eyes turned to the door of the bank, which had been crushed to pieces and left scattered on the steps.

Megavolt leaped from the telephone pole to the ground, as the Liquidator reformed near Officer Bulba, who gave him a friendly nod.

"You heard." Officer Bulba said with a smile. He knew that they were listening in on the police frequency, and he approved.

"Is it really dinosaurs?" Megavolt asked.

"Seem to be." Bulba said. "They look like them at least. Not like normal lizards. I just saw one though, he looks like a stegsomething."

"Stegosaurs?" The Liquidator asked.

"Right, that." Bulba nodded.

"Well, let's go." Megavolt said, and the Liquidator nodded. Both of them ignored the sigh of relief coming from Officer Hannigan. The pair of them rushed at the open hole were the door used to be. The two of them leaped through and split in two different directions, Megavolt going left and the Liquidator going right.

Megavolt and the Liquidator burst through the door of the bank, Megavolt with his electricity gun in hand and the Liquidator forming a ball of water in his fist, ready for a throw. Megavolt's eyes slid to the normal group of huddling masses by the window. By now the banks of St. Canard had installed large stone walls blocking off the left and right walls, so that when they banks were robbed the citizens would have something to huddle behind. There were ten or twelve people ducked behind there, some were even crouched down reading newspapers. After the first five times this happened to you, the entire bank hostage thing turned almost into part of the routine.

Megavolt and the Liquidator focused on the dinosaur that was currently reaching into the vault and was stuffing gold bars into a large bag. The dinosaur had apparently ripped the vault door right off the hinges, and was lying on the floor a few feet away in a twisted heap. The two heroes blinked a bit at the sight.

"Always knew that this job would involve dinosaurs at one point." The Liquidator said.

"Next week it'll probably be aliens." Megavolt muttered as he stepped forwards. "Alright, lizard. Put the money down."

Stegmutt glanced over his shoulder and scowled. He growled in the direction of the vault and jerked his head towards the two heroes. Terrible snarling came from the vault, and three creatures sprung out. Megavolt and the Liquidator recognized two of them instantly.

"Quackerjack!" Megavolt shouted, at the same time the Liquidator yelled. "Bushroot!"

Megavolt stared in horror at what used to be their friends. It was easy to recognize Quackerjack, as even though his body had changed parts of his cloths had remained, including his fluffy clown collar. Only now, instead of being around a duck's neck, the collar was now around a scaly red throat. Quackerjack now had a saurian head, shaped almost like a bullet, with long sharp teeth jutting out from his upper jaw. He had long, skinny arms with only three fingers. No, not fingers, claws. Huge claws that looked as if they could rip a man to shreds. His legs were also long and looked like they were used for leaping. There was a huge, razor sharp claw where his big toe used to be. It was curved almost in the shape of a crescent moon. Quackerjack's scaly hide was bright red, with dark blue stripes. His eyes seemed to hold almost no thoughts left within them.

If anything Bushroot was worse. He was an odd combination of reptile and plant. The reptile was obviously the same species as Quackerjack, but instead of long claws and fangs, Bushroot's roots had grown until they were sharp and shaped like claws. He even had a pair of sharp crescent shaped thorns on his feet. There was a little ring of what looked like fern leaves around his neck, framing his head. He turned his thorn filled maw towards Megavolt and opened his mouth, hissing in aggression.

Neither the Liquidator nor Megavolt knew the other creature, a huge four legged thing with huge, heavy, but almost rodent ish head. It had long saber fangs, and the body was almost reminiscent of a komodo dragon, but the legs were straight beneath it, instead of splayed out. Megavolt was almost glad that he didn't recognize it. The sight of Quackerjack and Bushroot was bad enough.

Stegmutt jerked his head again and the three creatures began to stalk towards the Liquidator and Megavolt. Quackerjack stalked to their left, and the Bushroot went to the right, with Fluffy going straight towards them, mouth open and drooling.

Megavolt, however, had only eyes for Stegmutt. "What did you do to them?" He snarled.

Stegmutt looked up for a second, and snorted. He went back to stuffing gold bars into his sack.

"Hey!" Megavolt, enraged that Stegmutt was ignoring him, stepped forwards again, only to be attacked by Fluffy, who lunged at him with saber fangs bared. Megavolt grabbed Fluffy by the teeth and sent a bolt through the animal, who leaped back in pain. Megavolt, not even looking at the Liquidator, hopped on Fluffy's head and jumped at Stegmutt, who didn't even spare him a glance. Megavolt ran towards Stegmutt with sparking hands, ready to shock the beast and get him to change his friends back!

Megavolt could halfway sense something coming for him, and he turned, his hand unconsciously lashing out. His sparking hands smacked the red muzzle of Quackerjack, and blasted him backwards. Quackerjack squealed and whimpered, his eyes widened in pain. He skidded back a few feet, tail waving as he flew. Megavolt gasped and ran over to the fallen duck turned dinosaur.

"Quackerjack, I'm sorry! Are you-AHHHH!" Megavolt leaned forwards to try and help his friend, when Quackerjack lunged forwards and bit Megavolt on the arm, fangs sinking deeply into the electric rat's flesh. Megavolt feel backwards as Quackerjack bore him to the ground, snarling in anger. Megavolt gaped at Quackerjack.

"Quackerjack! Stop, it's me!" Megavolt shouted at Quackerjack who didn't seem to understand him. "Come on, it's me! It's Megavolt!" Still no recognition. Megavolt saw something yellow swinging around, and looked. He noticed that doll, Mr. Banana Brain, that Quackerjack always kept with him. I was hanging from a scrap of thread, swinging somewhere near Quackerjack's thigh. Gritting his teeth in pain, Megavolt reached out and grabbed it, snapping it off of Quackerjack. Quackerjack shook his head, slinging Megavolt's arm around back and forth, apparently not noticing he was now down one doll.

Megavolt held Mr. Banana Brain out in front of him, so Quackerjack could see it. For a moment Quackerjack stopped, and he even opened his mouth, letting Megavolt pull his arm away. For a second a flicker of recognition appeared in Quackerjack's eyes, but then he snarled and slashed Mr. Banana Brain away with his huge claws. He snarled and went for Megavolt's neck.

A stream of water splashed into Quackerjack and sent him flying across the room to the land against a wall with a huge splat. Megavolt screamed and slide away from the water.

"Watch it, you idiot!" Megavolt screamed.

The Liquidator glared at him. "Watch your tone." He said.

"You can kill me with that stuff!" Megavolt said as he leaped to his feet.

"Good idea." Stegmutt growled as he stomped over. Megavolt didn't know that such a huge creature could move so fast. He barely had time to move before the huge tail swung, and hit him right on the back. He flew forwards and found himself struck against the Liquidator's entire body. Worse yet, he didn't even go through. The water gripped him against the Liquidator, and he could feel the energy coursing through both of them, draining from him and going to the ground.

Stegmutt didn't pay them any more mind. He just took his bag and left, taking the other three with him. Megavolt and the Liquidator were both immobile, unable to do anything about it. They could only watch as Stegmutt took both the money, and their friends, away.

* * *

><p>Taurus Bulba had to duck as the four dinosaurs crashed through the cop cars, appearing to shrug off the bullets thanks to their thick hides. The cop glared as the dinosaurs stomped down the street, and to his irritation they were soon out of sight. And unfortunately their little run through the now overturned cop cars prevented him from following. Sure, he could radio in, and he was indeed doing such right now. However, he knew that it was unlikely anyone would be following the perp. Not for the first time Bulba couldn't help but wonder why St. Canard managed to attract the worse cops in the country.<p>

"Taurus? Someone's c-c-c-coming." Hammerhead said quietly beside him. Bulba nodded. He knew that the other officer was coward, but he also knew that he was loyal. And the guy had a nose for danger. Bulba knew that if he ever was in danger Hammerhead would let him know. It would be very easy to tell.

Bulba turned and noted the black car coming towards them. It was shiny, but nondescript. You couldn't even tell what model it was. Save for the tinted windows it would have looked like an average car. Bulba's eyes narrowed. He knew that car.

Sure enough, the well dressed, white suited rooster that stepped out of the car was familiar to Bulba. Especially since he had a steel beak.

"Where's the limo?" Bulba asked Steelbeak sardonically.

"Not effective for this, babe." Steelbeak smiled. "What with all the…interesting things going on, it's not such a good idea."

"Interesting things?" Bulba said, not giving anything away to the fed. He didn't like Steelbeak. At all.

"Oh, you know…" Steelbeak kept his hands clasped behind his back as he walked forwards, still smiling. Bulba would have thought that a man that smiled as much as Quackerjack did would be nice. But there was just something about Steelbeak that Bulba didn't like. Every time he saw the rooster he wanted to hit him with a rocket or something. "Things like Gizmoduck…our four friends being invited to balls…" Steelbeak paused.

"What does the Four's social life have to do with you?" Bulba asked.

Steelbeak didn't answer. Instead he said. "What about dinosaurs?"

"What about dinosaurs?" Bulba asked.

"I don't know, I just got here."

"If you are trying to say something, say it." Bulba growled.

"Let's just say that I've been hearing some bad rumors. Rumors about the Four, and Negaduck."

"They are the best hope we have for this city, and you know that, Agent Steelbeak. And you better make sure the government, especially your agency, knows that as well."

For a second Officer Bulba thought he saw a flash of…something in Steelbeak's eyes. "I've been sent here to keep an eye on things. I want to work with you, Bulba, you and our friends. I don't want any trouble. We have the same goals."

"That remains to be seen, Agent." Bulba growled.

Steelbeak turned from him and eyed the bank door. "You think we should be checking on them, instead of arguing here."

Bulba grunted and nodded. He hated to admit that Steelbeak was right, but he was. Bulba followed Steelbeak as he walked up the stairs to the bank, keeping his eye on Steelbeak. Steelbeak walked with confidence of a man without a single doubt in his head. That would make one of them, as Bulba spent most of his time doubting.

The two of them entered the building, and for the first time Bulba got to see Steelbeak's calm façade drop a little bit. Bulba, on the other hand, was shocked, and he didn't care to hide it.

The Liquidator was splashed into almost a complete puddle state, his water running everywhere, all over the floor. Megavolt was sitting in the middle of the puddle, looking around with a dazed expression on his face. He looked up and gave the two of them a puzzled look.

"Hello, who are you?" He asked.

"Megavolt, it's me." Bulba said, concerned.

"Who's me again?" Megavolt asked.

Bulba's eyes widened. "Detective Bulba. St. Canard Police! We've known each other for years!"

"Uhhh, are you sure?" Megavolt asked as the puddle of Liquidator managed to ooze away and started to reform. The water dog had a concerned look on his face. Megavolt turned and looked at the Liquidator, and he screamed and backed away. "Water! Get away!"

The Liquidator frowned. "What's the matter with you, Megavolt? We've known each other for a while now! We're on the same team!"

"Team? What team? What are you talking about?" Megavolt glared at him.

"Megavolt, are you feeling okay?" Steelbeak frowned in concern.

"Who are you!" Megavolt screamed, looking very very confused.

"Look…Megavolt…what's the last thing you remember?" Steelbeak asked.

Megavolt glared at him. "I don't remember, you clod! If I remembered I wouldn't be this confused!"

"Wait, how can you know that you don't remember what you remembered last if you don't remember it?" The Liquidator asked. Everyone looked at him. "It's a legitimate question." The Liquidator said. "Look, you and I are on the same team, with Quackerjack and Bushroot!"

"Yeah? Who and where are they?" Megavolt snarled.

"Ummm, they've been turned into a pair of dinosaurs." The Liquidator said.

"What?" Three incredulous voices asked at once.

"I think it has something to do with the green stegosaurs…person. I think he did something to Bushroot and Quackerjack. Most likely when they went to see Dr. Fossil." The Liquidator said.

Steelbeak frowned. "He does have a lot of theories about Retro Evolution." He said.

"Retro what?" Bulba asked. "And how do you know?"

"Retro Evolution is the process of de-evolving a creature from its current form to a less evolved one. And I know because it's my job to know. But I also know that Dr. Fossil won't create a gang of dinosaurs. He's got a good reputation."

"So why did they attack us?" The Liquidator asked.

"Ah, it might or might not work on the minds of the victim. I don't know." Steelbeak said. "Theoretically there is a fifty fifty chance that the mind would devolve along with the body, but there are theory's that suggests that the effect would only be gradual, and depends on the individual."

"They seemed to follow the stegasaur's motions, like he was commanding them. He never said a word though…mind control?" The Liquidator asked.

"Could be…" Steelbeak said.

"You guys have fun with this. I'm going." Megavolt strolled away.

"Wait! Megavolt!" The Liquidator started after him. Megavolt turned to the Liquidator and snarled, backing away.

"You, get away from me!"

Steelbeak opened his metallic mouth to say something, but all of a sudden a thing on his waist beeped. It looked like a small television screen. He sighed and took it off the clip on his belt. "Hold that thought, okay?" He walked a few feet away and started to talk the device, and all the while Bulba watching him, suspicion on his face.

The Liquidator took Megavolt aside and was trying to talk to him, but Bulba could tell that it wasn't taking very well, especially with the mistrustful looks Megavolt was shooting the Liquidator. Bulba's eyes turned to Steelbeak, who was now speaking very sharply to the communicator in his hand. It was hard to tell his expressions with the metal beak, but Bulba thought from the straight, tight way the fed held himself that he didn't like what he was hearing. Bulba didn't know how to feel about that.

Finally, Steelbeak shut the communicator with a growl and walked over to the group. "Guys, we got a big problem." He said grimly.

"Oh, goodie." Bulba rolled his eyes.

"This is serious." Steelbeak's normally light, casual tone was replaced by a stern one, and for once he sounded almost like the federal agent he was supposed to be. "If we don't work fast it could be too late for Bushroot and Quackerjack!"

"What?" Bulba glanced his fists aggressively. "If you do anything to hurt them, I'll-"

"It's not me, it's my bosses!" Steelbeak said. "They want this threat gone, and now. I don't know why they suddenly decided it was this urgent, but they have. And if they don't get results in two hours, they are sending in the X Squad."

"Is that the one with the otherworldly alien mutant powers?" The Liquidator asked dryly.

"No, it stands for exterminate." Steelbeak said grimly.

"…I thought those were called the S.W.A.T team?" Bulba said.

"No, that's for normal things, like mad bombers and crazy basement dwellers with dungeons under their floors." Steelbeak said casually. "You'd be surprised at how many there are…anyway, the X Squad is for taking out more…ah…unnatural things. Magicians, aliens, that kind of thing. Technically they work for my department, but they aren't under my control."

"How can they be in your department if they aren't under your command?" Bulba asked, confused.

"Ya know the government. More red tape then an office supply store." Steelbeak snorted. "Without the fun rubber band balls. Ya see, the X Squad is part of Department C, which is technically the Odd Things department. We take care, basically, of things like you." Steelbeak pointed at the Liquidator.

"You mentioned that." The Liquidator said. "You're basically the guys from the television show. What was that thing called again?"

"The Twilight Files?" Bulba supplied.

"Yeah, that one. The one with the guy with the big beak…he's not based on you, is he?" The Liquidator asked Steelbeak.

"I don't know what you're talking about, babe." Steelbeak said innocently.

"…why are you idiots talking about television shows when some people, who you apparently liked, are gonna be hunted and killed in a few hours?" Megavolt stared at them all.

"Ah! I nearly forgot!" Steelbeak screamed. "The head of Department C wants those dinos knocked off unless we can contain them in two hours."

"Why?"

"When I find out, I'll let you guys know." Steelbeak frowned. "They don't always tell me why they give the orders they give. High Command of the FBI is funny that way. They said they sent me here to keep a handle on all these odd things happening at St. Canard. I mean, four super powered beings…okay, technically three. Negaduck. Phyros, those two weirdoes Khola and Dingo, rumors of magical activity, Gizmoduck…it's strange. Then the Voice shows up!"

"Wait, you know the Voice?" The Liquidator asked.

"Well, yeah. Ran across her a few times over the years. She gets the job done. Bad methods though."

"I thought you said that-"The Liquidator looked at Megavolt, who screamed.

"I don't know what the hell you people are talking about!" Megavolt held his hands against his temples and started to walk away. "Just go away!"

For a second the three of them watched him wander away, and then the Liquidator flowed past him, then in front of him. "Hold on!"

"Get away from me…water…dog…thing!" Megavolt jumped away, nearly right into Steelbeak, who grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Woah, woah, woah, babe, relax." Steelbeak said. "Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

"If I remembered, I wouldn't be having memory problems! You!" He glared at the Liquidator. "You shorted me out!"

"Viewers agree that stegosaurs knocked you into me! The Liquidator can't be held responsible for crimes he has not committed."

"I can't trust you!"

"Megavolt, listen to me, please." Steelbeak said. "I know ya don't remember me, and you don't remember the other four, but you've been a hero for a long time. I know you can't stand by and let someone be killed if you can help! Quackerjack and Bushroot need you, and so does whoever else has been changed and used by that stegosaurs! Can you really turn away from them?"

Megavolt stared at him and shook his head. No one could tell if he was agreeing or disagreeing with Steelbeak.

"Megavolt, I know you don't like me, I even know why." The Liquidator said. "I'm made of water. I can't change that. But Quackerjack and Bushroot need us. I can't do it without you!"

Megavolt looked at him and sighed deeply. "Alright, alright. I'll do it." Megavolt said.

"Right, let's get going." Steelbeak said, walking off.

"Where are we going?" Bulba's eyes were still narrowed.

"To see Dr. Fossil. He's the guy who knows about gene splicing and dinosaurs." Steelbeak said.

"Plus, it's where Quackerjack and Bushroot went." The Liquidator said.

"Alright, let's go." Megavolt glared at the Liquidator. "But I have my eye on you."

"And I have my eye on you." Bulba snarled at Steelbeak.

Steelbeak rolled his eyes. "I am really the only one who trusts everyone else?"

"Yes." Three voices said at the same time.

"Beautiful." Steelbeak grumbled.

* * *

><p>The Liquidator didn't think he'd ever been involved in a more awkward car ride in his life. Megavolt had taken the left back seat, with his back almost pressed against the wall in an effort to keep himself near an exit. Bulba sat next to him, glaring at the back of Steelbeak's head. The Liquidator was beside Bulba. Order to make Megavolt less likely to bail, he had pressed himself against the door as well. Steelbeak kept looking at the mirror above him, as if to reassure himself that they were still there. They were being driven by a strange man with an egg shaped helmet, who Steelbeak called an Eggman. The Liquidator was sure what that was about. The Eggman also looked back at them on occasion, looking slightly awed.<p>

"Ohhhhh, geeeeraaat." Steelbeak poked his head out of the car window and groaned. "There's our destination, and look who decided to be fashionably early?"

The Liquidator and Megavolt poked their heads out of the car window, while Bulba leaned forwards and peeked out the window. There was a small building sitting near the tree line, the entrance to Dr. Fossil's underground lab. The Liquidator remembered that Dr. Fossil worked in the museum, and the underground lab was a part of it. You could enter from the building itself, or an emergency exit in the woods. Despite the trees you could still see the outline of the museum in the distance. It was to the emergency exit the four were going towards. From this angle the entrance looked like an outhouse, and not a lab. For Dr. Fossil it had not been a question of hiding, but a question of space. Sitting in front of the outhouse like building was a black van.

"Do they always drive in black vans?" Megavolt asked.

"Black vans, helicopters, plans, cars…" Steelbeak rolled his eyes. "Black suits, sunglasses…now you know why I like white so much. I hate conformity. Besides, white is better for my complexion."

"I am sure that your complexion should always be taken in consideration when deciding your attire." Bulba rolled his eyes. "What are we to do about the party van there?"

"Floyd, pull over into the trees there." Steelbeak said, and Floyd complied. "Okay, here is what we are going to do. Megavolt and the Liquidator are going in that place and they are going to find the stegosaurs, find Dr. Fossil and rescue our friends. Meanwhile, me and Bulba are gonna stall the clowns over there."

"Stall them, how?" Bulba asked.

"And can't the non-water guy go with me?" Megavolt said, ignoring the Liquidators wince of hurt.

"I can answer both at once. You, Bulba, have a badge. You have authority that a vigilante like the Liquidator doesn't have. You can go over there and them the whole this is my case, this is my jurisdiction, this is my badge you shall not pass thing and actually have a reason for it. As for me, I am a fellow agent, and I can hit them where it hurts the most."

"Where?" Bulba asked.

"Pop the trunk, Floyd." Floyd did as he was told. Steelbeak jumped out of the car and rummaged through the trunk. He returned with a bundled stack of papers, and Bulba's eyes widened in horror.

"You didn't!" He gasped.

"I did." Steelbeak smirked. "I got…paperwork!"

* * *

><p>The leader of X Squad groaned a bit when he saw Steelbeak strolling up, followed by a huge blue bull with a stern expression. The leader was a large brown wolverine with a patch of white fur along his forehead. He wore a black suit and tie, with black sunglasses. His second was a black feathered duck, similarly attired.<p>

"Oh no, not him." The duck said. "What are we going to do, Agent Logan?"

"Let's hope we can get rid of him." Agent Logan snarled. "Get the men ready, Ash."

Ash nodded and jumped into the back of the van. The sounds of rattling and soon the van was rocking a bit. Agent Logan knew that Ash was distributing the big guns.

Steelbeak strolled over and raised an eyebrow. "Why, look Detective. The van's a rockin'!"

"Don't be crude, Steelbeak." Logan said. "It's beneath you."

"Yeah, and speaking of things beneath me, babe, weren't you supposed to be on a plane right now?"

"I chose to be…punctual."

"Two hours early isn't punctual. That's called going behind you superior's back." Steelbeak said.

"I don't answer to you."

"Yeah? My position in the Agency says you do."

"You're position is not that of my direct superior." Logan growled. "You might as well go back to commanding that janitor of yours. You have no authority over me or my men."

"Okay, now you're insulting _my_ men. That I don't like." Steelbeak said.

"Your men? Your 'men' are halfway comprised of women-"

"Oh great, now he's being sexist." Steelbeak leaned against the van. "Hey, lady agents in there! You're boss is a sexist pig!"

"Schoolyard taunts now?" Logan said wryly. "Oh how the mighty have fallen!"

"Hey, I tell the truth, Loggy." Steelbeak smiled. "Me, I like the ladies…"

"…you disgust me. Both of you." Bulba said.

"Aww, you wound me, babe." Steelbeak said.

"Who the hell are you?" Ash stuck his head out of the van and glared at both Bulba and Steelbeak.

"Ah! How's it going Ash!" Steelbeak grinned. "You doing the rockin' in there!"

"…you've been spending time with Hotshot and Flygirl, haven't you?" Ash's eyes went back to Bulba. "Who are you, cow?"

Bulba glared. "I am not a cow, duckling." Ash bristled. "And who the hell are you?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Detective Taurus Bulba. This is my town, chicken-"

"Duck. That's the chicken." Ash pointed at Steelbeak, who grinned.

"And no one is parking vans in a no parking zone in my town." Bulba pulled out a pad of paper and started write. "Let's see, illegal double park. Public indecency…"

"What! I am fully clothed!"

"…stupidity."

"That's not a crime!"

"So you admit it then?" Bulba smirked.

"You despicable little…"

"Get out of my way, poultry!" Logan tired to shove past Steelbeak, who was now having the time of his life. "I have reptiles to kill!"

"Ah ah ah!" Steelbeak grinned. "I got something you forgot, Loggy!"

"What…the hell?" Logan growled.

"Ya forgot to sign all of these!" Steelbeak dropped a bundle of papers on the ground. Thousands of forms flew through the air. "Ya need authorization! From me…now start filling."

Logan stared from the papers to Steelbeak. "I have orders from High Command! I don't need to fill out papers!"

"I wonder how it'll look on your record when it gets out that you refused protocol."

"Protocol!" Logan screamed. "You're the one who hired a cleaning lady, a garbage woman and a PAIR OF HIPPIES! In case you haven't noticed, WE ARE BEING ATTACKED BY DINOSAURS!"

"I don't see dinosaurs, do you see dinosaurs?" Steelbeak said with a look at Bulba.

"I see this. I cannot tell if he is evolved enough to qualify as a bird." Bulba said to Ash, who looked like he was going to punch the bull.

"Look, you were supposed to be here in two hours. Just enough time to fill all this out!" Steelbeak said with a grin that suggested that Christmas was early. "If you're fast it could be an hour and a half!"

"And if I say no?"

"Logan." Steelbeak's flippant tone changed again, to a deadly one that actually put a chill down Bulba's spine, though he didn't show it. Steelbeak's eyes narrowed to dangerous points. "If you push me, I will make sure you suffer for it. You know that."

Logan snarled. He began to gather the papers, still growling at Steelbeak. "You'll get yours, one day."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Steelbeak's casual tone was back, and he smoothed the feathers on his head against his head, looking smug.

"I hate you so much, Steelbeak."

"I love you too, babe."

* * *

><p>Megavolt and the Liquidator searched through the trees, trying to find another entrance to the lab. Megavolt stayed as far away from the Liquidator as he could, keeping his distance. It was becoming very annoying to the Liquidator.<p>

"Wait! Over there!" The Liquidator pointed towards a sharp dip in the earth. He sloshed towards it and peered over the edge. There was an old storm drain, obviously unused for a while. "I think this goes straight towards the museum, and it's underground! We might be able to go through here. Let's go."

Megavolt hesitated, and the Liquidator finally had enough. He turned to Megavolt and snarled. "Look, I don't have time to baby you, Megavolt! Come or stay, I don't care anymore!"

"I thought we were on the same team." Megavolt scoffed.

"If you really can walk away from the others like this, I'm not sure I want to be on a team with you at all." The Liquidator said coldly. He turned away and entered the drain. He looked back after few steps, but Megavolt didn't come. The Liquidator continued forwards for five minutes, and then looked back again. Megavolt still wasn't there.

Ten minutes later, and the Liquidator stopped expecting Megavolt to come with him. Instead he marched on. He desperately tried to tell himself that it didn't matter. Who needed Megavolt and his suspicions and moodiness? Without that rat he wouldn't be scrutinized at all hours of the day! Yes, it was much better this way…that was what the Liquidator told himself.

The drain was a dry as a bone anyway, no way Megavolt would have gotten wet in here! How paranoid could you get? It was so annoying. The Liquidator brooded till he saw a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, coming from the roof. The Liquidator speed up and found himself below a drain. He could see a brick cell above him, and there was something moving around up there. The Liquidator poked a bit of water upwards and tried to get a better look at the thing. All he could really see was a redish lump in the corner of a cage. The Liquidator fit some more water through, and it formed his head.

"Hey, are you okay?" Liquidator was fairly sure that anyone in a cage at this place was probably an ally. The thing started and whirled around, and the Liquidator gasped. The creature was another dinosaur! A red one with wings. Weren't they called pteradons? The dinosaur's eyes widened, and to the Liquidator's amazement he saw that the dinosaur was wearing a pair of small round spectacles.

"Liquidator! Tell me that's really you!"

"Dr. Fossil!" The Liquidator exclaimed. "What happened?"

"It's been terrible!" Dr. Fossil said. "I created this device, this Retro-Evolution Gun, and...And it's all turned out wrong!"

"Wait, stop and go back to the beginning. Research shows that following events in order will help with the coherency of the tale."

Dr. Fossil nodded. "I wanted to better chart the evolution of a creature. To see what the steps really are between the modern day animal and the prehistoric one. One of the greatest mysteries of our world is the abundance of intelligent species and their related animal cousins.. Rats, ducks, mice, dogs, bears, cats, they all have animal relatives. Yet we all have similar characteristics like arms and hands and legs. I wanted to see if I can spread some light on our evolutionary trees, so I created a deceive that could devolve and evolve animals and people. I hped that by doing that I could chart the evolution of life."

"That…is some pretty mad science." The Liquidator said.

"I know, it was a mistake! My first experiment was okay. It was a cat I adopted named Fluffy. He devolved into a Gorgonopsid."

"A what?"

"It's a big prehistoric lizard from the late Permian period. But thing was, Fluffy still acted like a cat. He was a big cat, but still a cat. It was going well. I was just about to get some more animals, but then Stegmutt showed up." Dr. Fossil made a face. "I thought he was just a friendly janitor. I should have suspected something when I found him snooping in my lab, but he was really good at acting dumb. He found my device and Fluffy, and used it on himself. His brain had devolved as well, and he just seemed so pathetic! I mean, really he was like a five year old. I should have left him like that, but I just' couldn't! I created something to advance his intelligence, but once he got his brain back I found out what he was really like! He's a con! A crook. He used the Retro Evolution gun on me, and turned me into a dinosaur as well. Then he used the mind enhancer in reverse, on Fluffy. Fluffy acts like a real prehistoric monster now!"

"What about my friends! And why is Stegmutt doing this?" The Liquidator asked.

"They arrived here a few hours ago, and Stegmutt used the devices on them. He turned them into dinosaurs as well. They look like either Deinonychus or Utahraptors to me. Something along those lines. Stegmutt knows how to command the dinosaurs he uses the devices on, and he's planning on using them to rob banks and stores. He's almost completely driven by money. He wants to make his own dinosaur gang, maybe even challenge Negaduck!"

The Liquidator shook his head. "Not that I object to making trouble for Negaduck, but we can't let this prehistoric perpetrator do this! And we have to help my friends!"

"If I get my claws on those devices, I can turn everyone back into ducks, and fix their brains as well!" If you can just get me out of here…"

"The Liquidator provides fast and easy service with a smile! Guaranteed to help you recover lost work from miscreants and charlatans!" The Liquidator oozed out of the drain entirely and oozed out of the door and to the lock. To his pleasure the lock was electronic. One blast of the Liquidator's water and the thing was shorted out, and it feel to the ground. The Liquidator opened the door with a flourish. Dr. Fossil limped out.

"Are you alright?" The Liquidator asked.

Dr. Fossil nodded. "Stegmutt likes to slam people against walls. He's a brute."

"Why are you out of your cage, doc?"

Dr. Fossil trembled and turned, along with the Liquidator. He stared at the big stegosaur and the three under his thrall.

"Quackerjack! Bushroot! Snap out of it!"

"Don't even try. They can't understand you." Stegmutt smiled. "They're just dumb animals now!"

"The only animal in this room is you." The Liquidator snarled.

Stegmutt's eyes narrowed. He reached for a panel on the wall and smashed it in. Instantly four objects, like torrents, arose from the floor and fired off what the Liquidator at first thought was smoke. However, when the smoke touched him he felt his water start to freeze. The Liquidator yelped and tried to move, but now his feet were stuck to the floor. Dr. Fossil, on the other hand, managed to leap into the air and disappear amongst the rafters. Stegmutt snarled at Bushroot and Quackerjack, who hissed and leaped on the cage ceilings, then towards the rafters. They chased after the madly flapping Dr. Fossil.

Stegmutt, followed by Fluffy, strolled over to the Liquidator. "You really think I didn't come up with contingency plans for the rest of your little hero society or whatever you are called? I can make the last member of your team a dinosaur…but what am I going to do with water…" Stegmutt smiled. "Let's see what this does to your mind!" Stegmutt aimed the mind enhancer on the Liquidator. The Liquidator struggled, but he was flash frozen. Yes he was melting, but not fast enough. He wondered what would happen. Would he just collapse into a mindless puddle? Constantly evaporated and recycled like all water was, but unable to use his mind to form himself? Would he even be aware of the change? Would this...would this be like dying? The Liquidator was afraid.

Just as Stegmutt was about to pull the trigger, a bolt of lightning erupted from the archway where Stegmutt and the dinosaurs had just come in from. Stegmutt fell forwards two steps, and turned, his tail swinging. The Liquidator felt his body shatter into a million pieces. There was dull pain, but he was alive. He was in pieces, but he would melt and reform soon enough!

"No!" The nasally voice made the Liquidator's spirit soar. It was Megavolt! He hadn't abandoned them after all!

Stegmutt aimed the two devices, duel wielding them like Negaduck could do with a pair of chainsaws. He aimed at Megavolt, who stood there defiantly against the dinosaur. The Liquidator struggled to reform a mouth, to warn Megavolt but he was just melting so slowly! All of a sudden there was a horrible screech, and a red blur darted in front of Stegmutt and grabbed the two devices with his hind claws. With another almost feral scream, Dr. Fossil beat Stegmutt over the head with his huge wings. He and Stegmutt struggled for a brief moment, when Fluffy rushed over, landing on Dr. Fossil's back and cutting into his head with his huge fangs. Stegmutt roared bit Dr. Fossil on the neck. It seemed to the Liquidator that Dr. Fossil was…fiddling with the mind ray. All of a sudden Dr. Fossil slipped to the ground, little rivulets of blood trickling from his head and neck. Stegmutt howled in triumph and turned the mind ray on him.

Just before he fired Dr. Fossil lashed out with his foot and jostled the aim of the weapon. It hit Fluffy square in the face. Fluffy reared back.

Stegmutt roared at Fluffy, obviously telling him to attack, but instead of obeying Fluffy looked at him with an aloof expression.

"Meeeeeow?" The cat turned dinosaur said.

Stegmutt looked from the mind device to Fluffy (who was now cleaning himself with a pawish foot) and then to Dr. Fossil. "You…you…You ruined everything!"

Stegmutt picked up Dr. Fossil by the neck and started to slam him against a wall, repeatedly. "I *slam* was going *slam* to be rich *slam*! I was going *slam* to have everything I ever *slam* wanted! And you ruined for me *slam*! You little *slam* pencil *slam* necked *slam*twerp! I'm gonna kill you *slam* *slam*!"

Fluffy screeched and lunged, biting Stegmutt on the tail. Stegmutt dropped Dr. Fossil and turned, taking a chunk of the wall with him. Fluffy scratched, bite and clawed, and it was too much for Stegmutt. He fled, screaming at them all, Fluffy on his heels.

"I'll get you back, Friendly Four! I'll get you back, Fossil! And you little cat too!" Stegmutt's voice faded away.

Unfortunately there was no one there to pursue them. The Liquidator was barely half formed. Dr. Fossil was on the ground, moaning in pain. And Megavolt...

Megavolt now faced two wild dinosaurs, with no Stegmutt to guide them. Quackerjack and Bushroot prowled around him, hissing and in the case of Quackerjack, drooling. Quackerjack lunged for Megavolt, claws slicing the air. Megavolt dodged, unwilling to use his electricity on a friend, even if he couldn't remember who that friend was. Bushroot prowled behind, apparently less willing to fight.

Slowly, like he was walking through mud, the Liquidator reformed. His water was still half frozen, and he crunched when he moved, like a slushy. He slowly managed to pick up the mind ray.

"Meeeggaaavooolt!" The Liquidator tossed the thing to Megavolt, who caught it. To the Liquidator's horror the water in his body must have hit a circuit or something, because the device sparked a bit in Megavolt's hand. Megavolt yelped and jumped. For a second a puzzled look crossed his face, then his eyes widened.

"Hey! I can remember now! Thanks Likky!" Megavolt grinned, and Quackerjack decided to remind them all of his presence. The duck turned dinosaur snapped at Megavolt with his huge jaws and tried to take the rat's head. Megavolt ducked and backed away. He aimed the device and fired. Quackerjack seemed to freeze in place, and his eyes widened. Megavolt relaxed the trigger and turned the device on Bushroot, and after a few moments he also seemed shocked.

Quackerjack shook his head. "Huh? What…" He said.

"Give me, a few minutes, and I'll take care of the dinosaur thing." Dr. Fossil fiddled with his device and turned it on Quackerjack and Bushroot. In a few moments a very confused looking pair, now as normal as the two of them could get, were standing there.

"Ummm, what just happened? Why do I feel the need to eat raw meat?" Quackerjack asked.

"I feel scaly." Bushroot shuddered.

"Let me just-"Dr. Fossil said, but before he could do anything else the Retro Evolution Gun shuddered in his hands, and broke into a thousand pieces. Dr. Fossil stared at the remains of his device, and then crushed the rest under his feet.

The Liquidator stared at him. "What did you do that for?"

Dr. Fossil hung his head. "This happened because I invented that thing. I created a monster, and he almost killed a bunch of good people! Who knows what else that lunatic will do! I…I'm going to destroy this lab. All of it. Even my notes." Dr. Fossil smiled. "I'm not one of those people with a super memory; I won't be able to remember how I made it. That's for the best, I think."

The Liquidator looked around the room and smiled. "I think I have an idea…"

* * *

><p>An hour later the four emerged at the entrance were Megavolt and the Liquidator had seem Steelbeak. To everyone's amusement the agent had a very grumbly wolverine leaning on the side of a van, frantically filling out forms. Steelbeak was also leaning; him on a stump, and the rooster grinned and kept "encouraging" Agent Logan. Bulba was arguing fiercely with Ash.<p>

"You can't talk to a government employee like that!" Ash shouted.

"I am a public servant of this city! I risk my life everyday to keep this city safe! You dare belittle my accomplishments!"

"What accomplishments! Your city is a cesspool!"

"I'd like to see you face Negaduck!"

"I'd like to see you kill a Yeti from fifteen paces away! While it charges!" Ash's neck was stuck out so much he looked like a giraffe.

"Hey, Dorks in Black!" Quackerjack laughed. "We took care of you dinosaur problem for you!"

"WHAT!" Agent Logan dropped the paperwork, ignoring Steelbeak's squawk of protest. Logan rushed into the building, shoving past Quackerjack and Megavolt. Steelbeak turned back and glanced at the two former dinosaurs, who grinned sheepishly at him.

A few minutes later Logan came back up, looking furious. "That place is trashed! And where are the dinosaurs?"

"Oh…Not here anymore." Megavolt let a spark play around his fingers. "Let's just say they won't be around anymore."

"You took them out yourselves?" Logan looked at him with disbelief.

"Like I said no problem." Megavolt said.

"Well then, I think that means you don't have to be here anymore. Hey, you know, I bet there are little chupacabras in Mexico or Sasquatch in the mountains that need you!" Steelbeak smiled. "Go away, Loggy. Go slay a dragon."

Logan took a deep breath, and then let it out. "Very well. Steelbeak…I hear that you had something to do with this, I'll go straight to High Command. In fact, I think I will go there right now!"

"Yeah, you do that Loggy. Don't let the van door hit your tail on the way out." Steelbeak smiled.

"Ash, move out." Logan snarled and got into the van. Ash gave Bulba one more murderous look and got in the van as well. The van pulled away, and was soon gone over the hill.

As soon as it was out of sight Bulba turned to Megavolt and said. "Well? What really happened?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Quackerjack said with false affrontedness.

"I know that you four are not killers. And I know that grin, Quackerjack." Bulba said.

"Come this way." The Liquidator said.

The four led Bulba and Steelbeak towards the drain. As they walked the Liquidator and Megavolt filled them in, each taking turns.

"I really thought that he was going to leave me." The Liquidator said with a hint of hurt in his voce.

"I'm sorry; I'm not going into a drain. I went to the museum and found another way, that's all." Megavolt said. He was aware that the Liquidator was acting a bit cold towards him. The Liquidator had barely looked at him. Megavolt knew that he had made a huge mistake, but he didn't know what to do. The jolt from the mind device had apparently restarted his memory, rebooted it somehow. He could remember everything in crystal clarity, and he knew he acted like an ass. He didn't know what to do though.

"So, where is Stegmutt, and Dr. Fossil?" Bulba asked.

Quackerjack frowned. "Fluffy came back, but we have no idea what happened to Stegmutt."

"That's gonna be a problem if Logan catches wind of him." Steelbeak said. "But from what you said, I don't think I'd rush to save him." Bushroot gave Steelbeak a hard, disappointed look.

"No one deserves to die, Steelbeak."

"…has anyone ever told you that you're way too soft?" Steelbeak asked.

"Two or three times a day." Bushroot said.

"Even as dinosaurs, Quackerjack was far more aggressive then Bushroot." The Liquidator said.

"Hey…I wasn't thinking…at all." Quackerjack looked up at the sky.

"No one is blaming you, Quacky." Megavolt said.

"Yeah…" Quackerjack grinned, but there was something forced about it.

"You're back!" Dr. Fossil's head appeared over the entrance to the storm drain. "I was worried."

"Steelbeak, this is my good friend Dr. Fossil. We think that Stegmutt will go after him, not to mention what normal people would do." Bushroot said. "Can you-"

"Oh, I think I know what you're gonna ask me." Steelbeak smiled. "Doc, you wanna come work for the Agency? I promise you room, board, three square meals a day and protection from evil dinosaurs. Of course, you'll have to contribute your mind to the cause!"

"What cause?" Dr. Fossil asked.

"Honesty, all those movies and tv shows have it wrong about us FBI. We aren't here to get the American people. We're the protectors, the defense force against evil! Our enemies are the nation's enemies! You work for us, you work for the people!" Steelbeak's voice was light, but there was something in his eyes that suggested that he was being totally honest and truthful with them. He wasn't just saying these things, he actually lived them. There was a great deal of dedication in his body language, and all at once even Bulba thought that perhaps they had misjudged the rooster.

Dr. Fossil nodded. "Is there room for two?" Fluffy poked his head up and mewed.

Steelbeak laughed. "Sure! The more the merrier! In fact…" He looked at the four and Bulba. "If any of you want to join us, then I'll make sure you get in! I'd love it if all of you worked with us!"

"Work with, yes." Megavolt said. "Work for, no. We like being a team of four. But, if you need us to help you, we'll do it."

Bulba nodded. "I want to know why you are here, Steelbeak. And, are there more of you?"

"Hey, there's only one Steelbeak, babe." The rooster grinned, and then it vanished. "But in all honesty…there are several reasons. I told you a few of them already. But…" Steelbeak sighed. "We got a lot of funny people working for us. Archeologists and astrologers. Psychics and scientists. Even a few magical folk. They almost never agree, but they do agree on one thing. There's something really bad coming. Coming soon."

"Like what?" Megavolt asked.

"Not sure. But all the strangeness that is going on here and few other places. Well we are keeping an eye on em. That's why we need you, and I don't care if you are employees or just allies. I need you. All of you. I'm not going to let innocent people suffer on my watch."

Megavolt nodded. "I see. We'll just have to face it when it comes."

"Yeah, I hate prophecies of doom. They never end up like you want." Steelbeak nodded at Dr. Fossil. "Shall we go?" Dr. Fossil nodded, and Steelbeak escorted him to the car.

"I got a bad feeling." Quackerjack said.

"I do too." Megavolt agreed. The four of them started to leave. None of them saw the pair of angry eyes that followed them as they left the forest.

"I'll get em." Stegmutt growled, and was about to follow when he felt a tug on his tail. He whirled around to face the business end of a machine gun.

"Hello." Lamont said. "I come from Negaduck. I have a business offer for you."

"What kind of offer?"

"The 'come and work for Negaduck' kind of offer."

"And if I say no?" Stegmutt's tail thumped on the ground.

Lamont cocked the machine gun and smiled. Stegmutt growled and backed down.

"Just think." Lamont said. "You can get revenge on the Friendly Four. And you will get a portion of the loot. It's not a bad deal, and if you refuse you get shot."

Stegmutt considered. He wanted to be the boss, not the help. ON the other hand not even his thick skull could repel bullets at that range. And he would still be getting his loot! And who knew? Negaduck might have a…accident…

"I'm in." The dinosaur said. Lamont grinned and motioned for Stegmutt to follow. The huge dinosaur fell in step behind him, grinning wickedly.

* * *

><p>Back at the greenhouse, Megavolt was standing in the doorway to where the Liquidator was sitting, absorbed in helping Bushroot water his plants. Megavolt sighed and walked forwards. He was not looking forward to this. At all. The Liquidator had been avoiding him for hours.<p>

"Liquidator, I-"

"Shut up." The Liquidator said, and Megavolt winched.

"I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Megavolt." The Liquidator walked towards him. "Do you realize what just happened?"

"Uh-"

"We have no way to get in contact with Steelbeak! Meaning we can't talk to Dr. Fossil." The Liquidator leaned forwards, and Megavolt struggled not to lean away. "I lost the one lead I had to my son! All because of that dinosaur! I'm very very angry right now, and I really don't care about you damn trust issues! Figure it out for yourself! Figure out if you are going to trust the rest of us or not, because right now I just don't care! Now buzz off!" With that the Liquidator marched away.

"I…I'm sorry." Megavolt said, but the Liquidator showed no sign that he heard. After a few moments Megavolt turned away and walked away.

He didn't stop till he had reached his lighthouse. The only home he really knew now.

He didn't come back for three days…

* * *

><p>AN: Logan's name is inspired by Wolverine from the comic books, just because when I came up with a wolverine that name just automatically popped up. He has no connection with the comic character other than that. And a temper, but that's just a wolverine thing.

Ash's name, on the other hand, comes from the character from the Evil Dead movies. He bears no resemblance to the Evil Dead Ash, I just liked the name. He actually in appearance is almost like Daffy Duck, though he lacks the lisp. I really think you don't see any dark feathered ducks in Disney that often because of WB. He's not supposed to be Daffy, just have the same coloration…and make an offhand joke about "despicable".

I have no plans for any bunnies.

There is another chapter coming up right after this. A reader of mine, moonbird, really found it annoying that ol' Bushroot doesn't have a phd in this, and she really wanted to see him get on. I, personally, didn't think it was that big a deal, so she went and wrote a nice chapter for me. I looked it over, thought it was nice and funny and it won't hurt the direction of the story, so I'm gonna go ahead and post it. Hope you like it.

_Next episode: A guest episode. Long ago someone stole Bushroot's opportunity for a doctorate, and is now claiming his work as their own. When the other three get wind of this they are determined to set right what has gone wrong…_


	6. The Good Doctor

An _Editor's_ note: This bonus chapter was written by moonbird, though I did have a hand in the editing process. It's a fun little chapter, and it does fit well enough into my continuity (ironic, me talking about continuity), so I thought It'd be fun to post it. Hope yall enjoy.

Chapter Six

The Good Doctor

Finally, after what had seemed like a continuous strain of work in the crime infested city, the Friendly Four had a somewhat downtime. As usual the group was meeting at Bushroot's greenhouse, relaxing and just spending time together.

Even Quackerjack, their constant source of noise and trouble was silent as he literately collapsed on a couch and turned on the television. Changing the channel he found the station he wanted. He relaxed as he watched the cartoons with a light smile on his beak, chuckling here and there at the cat and mouse chase took place on screen. Sometimes he felt sorry for that poor cat, but it was still funny seeing the mouse get the better of him!

It was just starting to get really good when the channels changed suddenly with a resounding click of the remote.

"HEY!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "What's the idea? I was watching that!" he swirled around to see who had had to audacity to switch channels like that and discovered Megavolt standing with the remote control, as slight frown on his face.

Megavolt merely shrugged at Quackerjack's infuriated expression, his own mismatched eyes on the television screen. "You were just watching cartoons." he murmured. "Not that important is it?" he asked lazily.

"I like cartoons!" Quackerjack exclaimed, indigent. "And those were classics, most of the stations aren't showing the classics anymore." he told with crossed arms. "Especially considering that those newer cartoons stink." he wrinkled his beaks.

Once again Megavolt merely shrugged. "Whatever." he murmured. "You probably saw them all before anyway."

"So?" Quackerjack asked.

Megavolt sighed as he looked upwards. "As it happens, news only happen once, while the cartoon have reruns." he pointed out as he had finally found the news channels.

"News is boring." Quackerjack stated with his arms crossed looking rather sullen right in front of himself.

"In our profession it's pretty important to keep up with the news." Megavolt annoyed muttered back as he sat down on the couch beside Quackerjack looking at the screen. "Your cartoons will be there later."

"Hmpf!" Quackerjack snorted looking away as if Megavolt had just preformed some sort of sin.

Megavolt just shook his head as he watched the news, ignoring his friend's pout. For a good ten minutes Quackerjack looked away, refusing to be a part of this. However, his eyes found the television screen anyway, for lack of better things to do, and he silently watched... for about two more minutes before he started complaining.

"This is so boring!" he exclaimed as some people in white doctor robes told about their recent break through. "Argh! Give me that remote! This is putting me to sleep!"

Megavolt stretched out his arm so the remote control was completely out of reach. "No." he stated.

"Come on!" Quackerjack tried to reach for it. "Give me!"

"No." Megavolt replied once again.

"Please?" He tried for a pathetic expression.

"No." It didn't work.

"Argh!" Quackerjack threw up his arms. "You're mean!"

"Towards you?" Megavolt asked with a slight grin. "When did you figure?"

"You're just no fun at all." Quackerjack murmured as he crossed arms, looking away.

From his lab table Bushroot looked up mildly from the daisy he was cutting to give the exchange a look.

"They're at it again." The Liquidator commented as he sloshed up to the table.

"Yep." Bushroot acknowledged absentmindedly.

"For the third time today."

"Fourth." Bushroot corrected his friend. "Megavolt hid the sugar breakfast from Quackerjack this morning."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you should think two superheroes would grow up at some point." The Liquidator commented.

Bushroot shrugged. "They're doing all right. Quakerjack is just excitable, and Megavolt gets under his skin. Well, actually they both get under each other's skin."

The Liquidator nodded. After three days of brooding over the lost opportunity with Dr. Fossil he had calmed down a bit. He was still determined to find his son, and he knew that they could come across Steelbeak again. When that happened the Liquidator was determined to take him aside and talk to him. Megavolt and the Liquidator had basically made up, though there was still a bit of tension there. The Liquidator shook these thoughts away as he watched the television from afar. A reporter was gushing over the new fertilizer.

"This new economic friendly fertilizer is based on peanuts and rain water! It's sure to revolutionize our agriculture and save the planet from more wasteful, hazardous, and expensive fertilizers."

"God this is boring!" Quackerjack complained loudly to Megavolt who hushed at him.

"That's a funny pink color it has." The news reporter commented as she leaned down to gaze at the bag of pink fertilizer open in front of him. The camera panned down to give the audience a better look at the bright pink substance.

"I think it's pretty." The blond woman said. "To bad it smells so terrible; it's sort of like rotten seaweed."

"That is because there actually is seaweed combined in the mixture."

"Phew." Quackerjack commented loudly. "That's like some of the fertilizer Bushy sometimes uses, I don't envy the farmer who has to use that."

Megavolt frowned. "You know you're right."

"I am?" Quackerjack asked. "About what?"

"That does look sort of like Bushroot's fertilizer." He commented. "And the fertilizer here tends to stink of seaweed as well, Bushroot!" he called turning around in the couch to address the plant mutant. "How on earth did you get your hands on a brand new experimental fertilizer just recently discovered?" he asked.

Bushroot laid down his tools as he walked over to the other two and watched the professors telling about this new wonder organic plant food. "Oh that's easy explained." Bushroot said gently. "I invented that, a very long time ago."

"You what!" Megavolt asked and then looked at the television screen and back at Bushroot. "Then they most owe you billions of dollars in royalties for that stuff."

Bushroot shrugged. "I suppose so."

"Aren't you going to do something?" Megavolt asked. "They are cheating you out of money."

"I don't really care." Bushroot shrugged again. "It's making the world a better place, and that makes me happy enough. That was the purpose of it, after all."

"But." Megavolt looked bewildered at him. "You have a right!"

"Money isn't everything." Quackerjack told wisely fiddling with his Banana Brain doll. "And all that preening that goes with it is just a drag." He shrugged. "And drag is a flap jack." He added in a little voice moving the banana doll. No one really understood that part, so they ignored it.

"Still, this is injustice; you should at least have recognition for it." Megavolt addressed Bushroot directly.

"I really don't mind." Bushroot told truthfully. "I don't want to be a bother or a reason for people not to use it. It's true, the fertilizer is cheap and economic to produce, easy to use and it might make a difference. I'm actually very happy right now."

"Megavolt is right you know." The Liquidator commented as he joined the conversation. "It's you're simple right to gain something, for work and research rendered. And that right there." He pointed at the screen. "Is theft."

"Guys, guys." Bushroot held up his hands. "It's all right, I don't want to draw more attention to myself, I am not mad at anyone, I am just happy it is being used at all."

Megavolt had run out of things to say as he gaped a bit. "Don't you ever get frustrated over anything?" he asked a little disbelieving. "No offence, but you were violently mutated against you're will by an insane duck, and you aren't mad at all? Most people would be raging against everyone at this point, but you…you…" Megavolt shrugged in frustration.

"I see no reason to be constantly angry; I don't see how it would make anything better." Bushroot told honestly. "You can't change the past, so why not just go with it. Being mad isn't going to make me normal, and there's nothing I can do about it. Better to just accept it and move on."

Megavolt gaped.

Quackerjack shook his head. "Bushroot would save the Devil himself if the Devil asked for help."

"Somehow I don't doubt that." Megavolt murmured.

Bushroot smiled apologetically.

Then Megavolt frowned. "Pardon me for asking, but...well…Reggie you're so smart! All this stuff you can do, why don't you have a PHD?"

"I didn't pass the exam." Bushroot told him with a slight smile.

"You're kidding me right?" Megavolt asked. "How could you not pass your exam? With inventing fertilizer incredible enough to get in the news and stuff? And your photosynthesis formula! How in the word did you manage to avoid it?"

Bushroot shook his head. "An honest mistake, you see my exam project was that fertilizer, but the portion the judged examined turned out to be highly poisonous rather than growth friendly. I failed, and I didn't have the money to take another course with the same subjects. On the other hand I had several nice job offers, so I just took one of the jobs. The one at the university. I figured once I made enough to pay for student loans I could try again. Then…well…" Bushroot shrugged and gazed down at his leafy hands with a wistful expression.

"Wait wait wait!" Megavolt exclaimed. "Let me get this straight, you're exam project was the fertilizer formula, the same formula as they say now would revolutionize farming?"

"Yeah..." Bushroot hesitated.

"And you changed how much in the formula since then?"

"Nothing." Bushroot told honestly. "It works fine. Worked fine when I invented it the first time around."

"And you've had to get by taking small pity jobs, creating amazing stuff other people have taken credit for, because you lack a PHD?"

"Yeah, so?"

There was complete silence as the three members for the Friendly Four just stared absolutely dumbfounded at Bushroot, making Bushroot rather nervous as he started fidgeting.

"Bushroot… Reggie, my friend…" Liquidator hesitated. "I don't know how to say this but err.."

"You are too nice to people!" Megavolt exclaimed. "You've been cheated, badly. More than once apparently!"

The Liquidator nodded. "Experts agree, you have been cheated out of quite a bit of wealth."

"I doesn't seem like a fair game." Quackerjack added.

"Guys, honestly." Bushroot told. "What is a mutant plant duck going to do with a PHD?" he asked. "I can't even go out in the street much less work in a lab, and why be angry at something that doesn't matter anymore?"

The three others were still just staring at him.

"And if it came out I had made that fertilizer no one would use it, and it could make the world a better place. Who cares if someone else has the credit, as long as people's lives are better!"

Still just staring.

"Look, I really don't want any of you to make a big deal out of this." Bushroot at last sighed. "It's all in the past; we should look to the future. There is enough bitterness out there; I don't want to become that." And he sighing turned away to return to his previous project with the daisies.

"That is so unfair!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "He so deserves that degree!"

"And someone owes him a ton of money and recognition." Megavolt stated with crossed arms. "I say it again; he is just too nice for his own good."

The Liquidator nodded.

"I want to help!" Quackerjack stated. "I want to do something, isn't there anything we could do?" he asked.

"We can't just walk in and start complaining without any reason." The Liquidator pointed out.

"Then it's good we do have a reason." Megavolt looked knowingly at them. "A very good reason, what we have just witnessed, is theft! Theft is a crime, we are here to stop and punish crime."

"Oh." Quackerjack lighted up. "I like that."

"That is a good point." The Liquidator acknowledged. "But how do we begin?"

"By finding out who the thief is and then expose him." Megavolt whispered secretly.

"How do we do that?" Quackerjack asked.

"Well, there are two ways." Megavolt whispered to the two. "Either going back and find out precisely what happened at old Bushy's exam, or back tracking, find out who has the formula now and where he got it from."

"You really do have you're bright moments." Quackerjack whispered.

"Thanks... Hey!" Megavolt exclaimed.

"Guys, focus!" The Liquidator demanded.

"Fine." Megavolt frowned annoyed. "Likky, you figure which school he went to and what happened, Quacky and I are going out to question some high profiled scientists."

"So you do care." Quackerjack chuckled. "I thought you didn't want to spend time me."

"I just don't like the thought of you doing anything on your own." Megavolt stated. "Come on Chuckles." He grabbed Quackerjack's jester hat. "Let's get moving." And he simply dragged a complaining Quackerjack with him, before he stopped in his tracks with a frown. "Oh and don't say anything to Bushroot." He asked of the two others. "He doesn't want us to bother."

"If he asks you two are out watching a movie." The Liquidator nodded.

"Roger Rabbit!" Quackerjack interjected with a grin.

Megavolt rolled his eyes. "Fine." He mumbled dragging the jester with him. "At least we are not talking a trip to Disneyland."

"Oooooh, what a brilliant idea!" Quackerjack lightened up. "Let's do that later! I always wanted to meet the head mouse!"

"Urgh, forget it." Megavolt hissed.

* * *

><p>Liquidator slithered through the drains once again, this time towards a specific academy. It had been very easy to figure out which one, as Bushroot had all of his papers in the finest order, one of the necessary things to do when you're a scientist the Liquidator supposed. Now all the Liquidator had to do was to find the old records at the academy from when Bushroot had been a student. Without a sound being made the Liquidator emerged through a drain in what looked like a chemistry class room, each table having a Bunsen burner attached, safety goggles and lab coats hanging on the wall, several bottles with chemicals standing on the shelves, even a small white rat in a cage. He knew he had to be a long way from the archives, but still, so this was where Bushroot had gone to school, it was sort of fascinating. Liquidator headed for the door and easily slipped through the cracks and from there slipped downwards, only having to disappear as a chubby, brown haired, kind looking cleaning lady came walking through the hallway. The woman sighed at the sight of the puddle seeping through the hall, and the Liquidator gazed up at her from the floor. She turned around and walked towards a closet, and the Liquidator turned away and slunk off, making sure to be far away before she came back with her mop.<p>

Finally he reached the basement with all of the archives and slipped past the locked door to find faced with the many rows with files. The Liquidator sighed inwardly he started to look after some sign of the dating on the papers, and soon found last year and back tracked from there. He had made it all the way down to the other end of the hallway before he found the right place. To his frustration the drawer was locked, and his powers, though very useful for sneaking around like this, breaking stuff open really wasn't his department. Trying he took the handle anyway, of course it was locked. He tried to pull a little harder, and a little harder again, suddenly he had both his hands on the handle and was pulling with all of his might so that the entire row of files was shaking.

"Hey!" a voice suddenly called. "Who's there?"

At once Liquidator let go in shock and as a result felt backwards and splashed into the row behind him.

"WHA!" the voice screamed shocked. "He melted!" Someone's footsteps came running as the elderly male voice hopelessly called out. "Hello, where are you?" the man turned around holding a flashlight high. "Please be all right." The voice sounded frantic. "Oh god, I just watched someone melt!"

Liquidator simply didn't have the heart to keep the old frantic man believe that, so slowly he reformed. "It's all right." He whispered not fully back to solid form yet. "I'm all right."

"ARGH!" the man screamed. "A ghost!" he pressed himself away. "Stay away, I'm a good Christian."

"What does that have to do with anything? I mean, relax." The Liquidator had finally reformed. "I am not a ghost, I'm a…ah…a sort of mutant." Finally the Liquidator got a good look at the man, a little bird with a long beard and a pair of thick glasses on his beak.

"Wait a minute." The man halted. "You're that Liquidator fellow from the news."

"Umm… yeah..." The Liquidator hesitated. "I suppose I am."

"By god son, how dare you frighten an old man like that?" the little bird asked as he took a deep breath. "First I thought it was a thief stealing more valuable documents! And then I thought it was a ghost!"

"Sorry." The Liquidator swallowed. "Say, did you say more documents?" he asked.

The little bird shrugged sadly. "Happens all the time, so few in the staff are decent people." He sighed. "The scientific world today is more about stealing each other's work rather than doing something for yourself." He sighed. "As a result the cheaters get to the top and the geniuses are stuck at the bottom."

"I sort of had the feeling that was how it was." The Liquidator nodded in understanding

"I'm Doctor Vulture by the way." The little bird smiled and offered his hand.

"Doctor Vulture?" The Liquidator asked as he accepted the handshake. "That's funny; it sounds kind of like a villain's name."

"Well that's the ironic thing about this world isn't it?" Doctor Vulture smiled. "All the people with villains names are good guys and all the people with hero names are bad guys. Take for instance Captain Boyscout, with that name you would assume he is the world's nicest guy. It turns out he is a con and a complete thug…"

The Liquidator frowned. "Except for Negaduck. I can't imagine the place where his name would be considered good."

"Too true…anyway." The little bird cleared his throat. "What's one of the decent people of St. Canard doing breaking into these old archives?"

"Trying to bring justice to the most decent person in town." The Liquidator responded honestly. "Does the name Reggie Bushroot mean anything to you?"

Doctor Vulture's eyes suddenly softened considerably. "How could I not remember dear old Bushroot?" he asked. "Impossibility kind that lad was! I truly wish that I knew what had become of him."

"Well, he is fine actually, a little green and a little mutated, but happy enough." The Liquidator told him.

Vulture's head snapped up. "Wait! Bushroot? Bushroot from the news is_ Reggie_ Bushroot?" he asked. "He was one of my best and brightest students from years ago! Is it really him?"

"I assume you're asking if the mutant from the news is you're old student, in which case the answer is yes."

"But he hates violence." Doctor Vulture exclaimed, and he sounded shocked. "He always avoided any kind of trouble or violence!"

"Oh he is still like that all right." The Liquidator said. "But he also wants to help. He uses his powers to help people. He doesn't like it, but he knows it's necessary to protect people."

"Sounds like him." Vulture nodded. "He always thought of others before himself.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about his school days do you?" the Liquidator asked. "About his lacking a degree?"

"Of course I do, I was there." Doctor Vulture asked. "I _was_ his teacher, poor Bushroot." He sighed. "He worked so hard and got nothing in return. I'm sure someone sabotaged, and possibly stole his work, but I have no proof. Especially now that the new fertilizer is out. It's really his, I'm sure of it!"

The Liquidator's head dropped. "How did he take that back then?" he asked.

"He was heartbroken, what can you expect?" Vulture asked. "Bushroot always puts bits of his soul into all of his projects. When it was taken from him it was like he was torn apart, but if you know him, then also know he doesn't have a single trace of bad temper in him, or bitterness. It was the same in this case, so he tried to keep back the tears and he moved on."

Liquidator was a bit lost for words as he sadly regarded all of the archives around them.

"So." Doctor Vulture cleared his voice. "Tell me, what can I do to help?"

Liquidators face cracked in a smile. "So glad you asked! I bet there is some proof in these archives that can prove the project was really his! Let's start looking!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Megavolt and Quackerjack had found themselves at a very expensive high profiled research facility. It hadn't gone as either one of them had expected, least of them Quackerjack who was beyond annoyed at current time. Megavolt just stood there with stars in his eyes and a grin on his face. An expression of rapture on his face, that Quackerjack had never seen before.<p>

"I think I am in love!" Megavolt stated as Quackerjack rolled his eyes. "Look at this!" Megavolt zoomed over to a large consol. "A circular tron fiddler with magsiment shield force! Oh, she's so shiny and new! Oh isn't she beautiful?" Megavolt asked.

"I'm not even going to pretend I have any idea what you just said." Quackerjack commented annoyed. Who would have known Megavolt was go gaga over a bunch of machines? And the fact that he kept referring to them as "shes" kinda creeped Quackerjack out…he wondered if this was some sort of poetic karma for all the times he had creeped Megavolt out.

"Oh!" Megavolt exclaimed running across the room again. "A warp deflector with five gears and post delta moderators." He wiped a tear from his eye. "I never thought I would ever be able to see one in real life! It's all so beautiful!" He whispered in an awed voice.

"You were the science nerd in school weren't you?" Quackerjack had to ask.

Megavolt didn't even hear, he was too in awe of all of the so called magnificent machines. "Shesh." Quackerjack muttered. "And he calls me obsessed?" he grumbled as he observed Megavolt, who seemed be reliving a partially happy Christmas morning. Quackerjack took three fast steps towards the rat. "Come on!" Quackerjack gripped his arm. "Time to go!"

"But I don't wanna." Megavolt complained. "I want to stay here."

"We have a job to do remember?" Quackerjack asked pulling in Megavolt with all of his might.

"That can wait." Megavolt complained. "This place has machines producing alternative energy! Just ten minutes more! Please!"

"I seriously don't know you anymore." Quackerjack commented. "If anyone asks, you're not with me." He pulled in the rat ending up dragging the fighting Megavolt across the floor. "And when did I become the responsible one, I'm not supposed to be the responsible one!"

"Five minutes more?"

"NO!"

"Awww." Megavolt complained.

"We are going to finish the mission, then we can look at the machines." Quackerjack stated.

Megavolt still looked just depressed as he very longingly looked at all of the machines. He began sighing deeply as he gazed at the whirling pistons, the glittering monitors, the sleek mega drives. How he loved them all!

"May I help you with something?" a tall extremely beautiful lady with long blond hair and long eyelashes addressed the two heroes.

"Yes." Quackerjack addressed the woman as he annoyingly held a firm grip in Megavolts shoulder, making sure the rat wouldn't suddenly run off. "We're the superheroes of St. Canard. You might have heard of us. Quackerjack and Megavolt. We're here to investigate a possible theft, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the new pink super fertilizer?" he asked.

The woman blinked. "Well of course, it was developed in one of these departments and is being tested right now."

"Aha." Quackerjack glanced at her. "I see, could you tell us who developed it?" he asked in a dry voice. There was something about the way this girl was looking at him. Quackerjack didn't like. It was kind of…slimy.

"Actually I did." The woman smiled warmly. "I am Doctor Gandra Dee." She swung her long beautiful blond hair around her shoulder. "But you can call me Gandra. If you got any questions just ask me." She batted her eyelashes, trying to be seductive.

Quackerjack frowned, annoyed.

"I got a question." Megavolt exclaimed.

Doctor Gandra nodded at him. "Yes." She asked in a polite voice.

"Where do you buy one of those?" He pointed at a big gray machine with blue lights running up its sides.

"Megs!" Quackerjack exclaimed.

"Lighten up Quacky." Megavolt muttered annoyed. "When will I ever be at a place like this again?"

"I don't care, I don't like machines!" Quackerjack exclaimed with his arms spread out. That wasn't precisely true. He liked building machines, precisely robots, but he didn't like listening to Megavolt babble on about the inner workings of a toaster. It was dull, and it was interfering with the mission.

"I do!" Megavolt returned.

"You like this stuff?" Gandra suddenly asked a weird light glinting in her eyes.

"Oh do I!" Megavolt asked. "It's all so beautiful." The expression on Megavolt's face was pure sappiness. It made Quackerjack want to hurl.

"And you know how it works?" Gandra asked. "How you could use them for research?"

"Well it's easy! You see-"

"Hold it right there." Quackerjack slammed a hand towards Megavolts mouth. "That's not why we're here." And then he cleared his throat. "Now, the fertilizer, how did you discover it?" he asked.

Gandra started laughing. "That's a silly question isn't it?" she asked. "I invented it, the news says so."

"The news says a lot." Quackerjack told sternly. "Why don't you go through that formula for us and explain it?" he asked.

"Well, why waste time on that?" Gandra blinked very seductively and bowed down slipping a hand over Quackerjacks head. He tensed at the unwelcome touch. He already knew that he did _not_ want this woman touching him! "When there is so much else we could be doing…like having fun."

Quackerjack was throughout unimpressed with the seductive turn and Megavolt didn't seem to have noticed it at all. He was far too busy with all the wonders surrounding them. Quackerjack wished his friend would pay more attention. The woman made his stomach turn. She remained him way to much of con. He had a feeling he was being played. After all, this woman claimed to have found the formula, when Quackerjack knew it had been Bushroot.

"Waste my time then." Quackerjack encouraged. "Just tell us about the formula, explain it to us."

At last it seemed like the childish state Megavolt had been in was wearing off and his glanced at Gandra. "Yeas, explain please." He said. "Show us the place you developed it."

Gandra looked calculating at them with a frown around her beak, then suddenly all melted away as she smiled. "Of course." She said. "It's right this way." She gestured and lead them down a hall way. "All though, it's such an honor having superheroes with your reputations in the building, it would be a shame not taking the whole tour now wouldn't it?"

Megavolt gaped. "Can we?" he asked. "Really?" he smiled all over again.

"Of course." Gandra laid an arm around his shoulder and she smiled her seductive smile. "I would do it personally."

Megavolt beamed, again though, it was probably more because of the machines he was promised than her, in fact he didn't even seem to notice her, and Quackerjack started to notice how annoyed she started becoming that her usual seductive techniques didn't work. Occasionally when she thought they were not looking the woman would give them a nasty expression. A sour look that made her perfectly formed bill crinkle and turn ugly. Quackerjack started to have a sneaking suspicion that all that she had was looks. Was this how she had worked herself up through the ranks? He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even know how to put two plus two together! He would bet she didn't belong in the science department at all!

"Oh dear me!" Gandra stopped in her tracks. "I forgot! That lab is closed for today." She held a hand up to her mouth. "Oops." She giggled innocently, or tried to at least.

Quackerjack looked annoyed at her. Hah! What a coincidence huh?

"Aw." Megavolts face faltered. "Does that mean we can't have the tour?"

"On the contrary." Gandra smiled at the rat. "It means we have longer time for the tour!"

"Really?" Megavolt asked in an excited voice as if he couldn't believe his own ears.

"Of course." Gandra laughed. "I would be honored. Come this way, I show you the whole place!"

"Oh boy!" Megavolt exclaimed and Quackerjack just sighed deeply as he followed the two, shoulders hunched. How convent that all these so called ``Coincidences'' just continued one after the other! It didn't take that long for them to arrive in a room with several half finished projects, and Quackerjack had a sinking feeling.

"Oh dear." Gandra had said. "We have been stuck with this stuff. None of it works right! We're stumped!"

"Can I have a look?" Megavolt had asked at once, and once he was given a nod of permission he went to work, completely engrossed in all of the wires and wheels. He literately was buried in the stuff as he gleefully tinkered with it all. Quackerjack thought that he could make some toys out of the bits and bobs, but this science stuff was beyond him. However, it appeared that Megavolt was going to be here a while.

Sighing, Quackerjack collected a small pile of discarded wheels, springs and pointy things, and started to tinker. If he was going to be here for a while he would at least make a few toys. He barely even noticed when Dr. Gandra left the room, a sinister smirk pasted all over her beak.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack was bored and if there was one thing not healthy for everyone, it was a bored Quackerjack. He sat there on top of a box, dully observing Megavolt's glee. All of Quackerjack's spare parts had been used up hours ago, and he was annoyed.<p>

"I wonder if I look this nuts to other people." Quackerjack murmured as he rested his head in his hand.

_Oh indubitably, my friend._ Headboss grumbled.

_You've been silent for a long time…_

_I am worried, this is bad._

_I know._

_That woman is dangerous._

_You make more and more sense every day._

Quackerjack grunted dully he looked down on all the small toys he had managed to make in a rather small time from all the wheels and wires laying around. There was a music box a toy soldier which could work on his own accord, a ballerina able to twirl around and a jack in the box lacking the head of the jack inside. He liked them. They were cute, but he was ready to go now. Was he the only one who remembered why they were here?

"Megs!" he called out. The rat didn't hear him. "Hello, MEGAVOLT!" he called again.

"Hmm." Megavolt answered his head completely buried in the machinery.

"I am going to take a walk." Quackerjack informed. "Stretch my legs."

"Okay fine." Megavolt said casually. "You do that." And still he didn't even come out of the machines to talk to Quackerjack. That…was really starting to hurt.

Quackerjack sighed as he got up and walked toward the exit, a frown on his beak. The hurt was turning into anger. A great deal of anger. How dare that little...that little…that rat!

"Don't go out alone in a probably evil facility Quacky! Let's do our job Quacky! Take care Quacky!" He murmured to himself as he stormed through the halls. "Well thanks a lot Megsy!" he drawled sarcastically as he wandered outside to breath in the air. "Boy, at least I know what to get him for Christmas! Whatever machine I can't pronounce the name off." Quackerjack commented crossing his arms, then he shook his head and sighed as he observed how the sky was starting to turn rather dark. "I'm going home." He muttered as he walked out of the facility with annoyed, angry steps.

* * *

><p>Megavolt hadn't even registered that Quackerjack was gone, he was just having the very time of his life. None of this stuff worked properly, but he very quickly figured out how to fix it or change it, it was literately a dream coming true! He had completely lost all track of time and surroundings as he satisfied clasped his hands as he looked proudly at his improvements and creations spread out in front of him.<p>

"How about that?" he asked over the shoulder. "Give me and toaster and a oven and I'll perform real magic in front of you Quacky." It was strangely quiet. "Quacky?" Megavolt asked and turned around to witness the few toys lying around on the floor, looking quite sad and almost rejected. "Quackerjack?" he asked rather loudly as he glanced out of the window and realize the sun was rising. Wait rising? It had only been afternoon when they arrived. "Oh Quacky.." Megavolt suddenly realized his mistake. "Quacky I'm sorry, where are you?" he started looking around, but his friend had vanished, leaving only those poor sad looking toys behind..

"Megavolt?" Gandra stepped into the room. "Is something the matter?"

"I think I sort of abandoned Quackerjack..." Megavolt muttered. "I'm sorry Doctor, thanks for the hospitality and all, but I gotta find him... And, he was kind of right, we were not even here for sightseeing in the first place!" he almost pushed Gandra aside in his haste of getting outside.

"Quackerjack! Wait for me!" he called out.

Gandra however, just let him go as she turned around. She looked at all of the machines that none of the so called doctors had been able to make work, and gleefully watched them all run as smoothly as could be.

"Finally." She grinned. "Forget about just buying a palace with the fertilizer I'll buy my own desert island with a resort and private servants!" she grinned as she rubbed her hands. "And I should be damned if I don't get true fame and recognition for this! Go home all you movie stars and rock stars and artists! Stand back, rich corporate fat cats! I'll get my own statues for sure! I can see it now: Gandra, the magnificent, most beautiful ever, smartest, humblest, giving, kindest personality in the world, loved by all!" she chuckled; looking rather unattractive as she greedily looked at her new goods.

* * *

><p>"Quacky please." Megavolt pleaded. "I didn't mean to, it was just...I.."<p>

Quackerjack didn't answer; he was just sitting down on the floor of the greenhouse with his arms crossed, looking straight forwards with an annoyed frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, okay! I said it, I am sorry! Can't we move on?" Megavolt asked.

Quackerjack still didn't answer.

"Oh so we are playing the silent game now?" Megavolt asked. "Well, that's really mature Quackerjack, really mature! Grow up won't you!"

"That's a laugh! You talk to me about growing up?" Quackerjack shouted loudly. "It was you who forgot all about our mission!"

"And I said that I was sorry!" Megavolt exclaimed. "Gah! You make one tiny mistake! As if you are not above making childish mistakes! You do it all the time, you know!"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that!" Quackerjack turned his head away. "And I am not talking to you!"

"Well, clearly you are!" Megavolt pointed out in an annoyed voice.

"Not anymore, this is the last word you'll hear from me!" Quackerjack returned.

"Good! I was tired of your complaining anyhow!"

"Ditto!"

And they were both sitting down back to back, both with crossed arms and annoyed faces, grumbling and hissing to themselves. "Stupid rat, always thinking he knows best! Thinking he can handle anything on his own doesn't he!" Quackerjack grumbled.

"Immature clown." Megavolt hissed through his teeth. "Why can't he ever take a mature approach, why doesn't he grow up?"

"I heard that!" Quackerjack exclaimed.

"I thought we weren't talking!" Megavolt returned.

"We are not!"

"Oh really!" Megavolt yelled on the top of his lungs and raised a sizzling hand. "What is this then?"

"An opportunity to finally beat some sense into that dense skull of yours!" Quackerjack exclaimed and he jumped up on his feet. "Bring it on!"

"You asked for it!" Megavolt exclaimed as he pulled back his hand for a blast, but suddenly something big and strong wrapped itself three times around his waist and pulled him upwards. "Woah, What's happening!" he yelled and discovered that Quackerjack was equally hoisted up by a big tree.

"Guys, guys!" Bushroot stepped through the doorway to his lab. "No fighting in my greenhouse, my plants could get hurt!" he told then with a frown.

"Well, he started it!" Quackerjack exclaimed as he helplessly tried to get out of the plant's grasp.

"Did not!" Megavolt returned and both suddenly got a sudden shake from the tree, a hint that they needed to compose themselves.

"Guys, honestly." Bushroot sighed. "I don't care why you are fighting or who started it. You always fight, but I hate to see either of you being hurt. Especially considering one of you has superpowers to his disposal and the other one has super gadgets, it could easily go wrong."

"As if I would really zap Quackerjack." Megavolt rolled his eyes.

"Seemed like you were just about to from where I was standing." Quackerjack commented.

"Well, maybe a minor zap." Megavolt said. "It wouldn't have hurt you…much."

"Then I might as well just send some teeth after you, that wouldn't have hurt you either." Quackerjack pointed out with crossing arms. "Much."

"You did stuff a pair of those teeth in my bed last week!" Megavolt exclaimed.

"And it was a well meaning prank." Quackerjack returned.

"Let me down!" Megavolt exclaimed. "I'll get to him! He had this coming to him!" and then the tree branches which held shook again giving him and Quackerjack another firm warning.

Bushroot shook his head. "Seems to me I have little choice." He sighed. "You two just cool off and talk whatever it is through up there; I'll let you down when I'm sure you won't kill each other anymore."

Both Megavolt and Quackerjack looked wide-eyed at him.

"And I'm sorry, but I have quite a bit of work to do." Bushroot shrugged them off. "I guess I'll be seeing you later." And he walked out on them.

"He left us?" Quackerjack asked loudly. "Dangling like a pair of sacks! The nerve!"

Megavolt didn't answer but merely looked away.

"You aren't going to do something?" Quackerjack asked.

"We aren't talking remember?" Megavolt asked. "And I'm the one with the bad memory."

"Oh fine!" Quackerjack snapped and looked away.

For a time they both just hang there, upside down, in absolute silence. The plants were waving lightly and the clouds outside were moving in a steady pace. There really wasn't a lot to do in their current position as time passed. Megavolt sighed as he watched how much the sun had moved. His eyes eventually glanced at Quackerjack who also started to look rather defeated in this predicament, Megavolt just couldn't help it, suddenly his face just cracked into a little smile, and then he started chuckling.

Slowly Quackerjack turned his head and looked oddly at Megavolt. "What?" he asked.

"This." Megavolt chuckled. "Is absolutely ridiculous!" he chuckled. "You look ridiculous!"

"You're the one to talk." Quackerjack returned all though he had trouble keeping back his smile.

"I know!" Megavolt exclaimed in a grin.

Then their eyes meet, and suddenly both heroes just burst into laughter. "We are like two pieces of Christmas decorations!" Quackerjack laughed.

"Yeah, you're the paper glitter and I'm the light bulbs!" Megavolt snorted.

"So true!" Quackerjack laughed on the top of his lungs, and suddenly the branches holding them started to slowly lower and very gently placed them back on the ground.

Amused Megavolt shook his head. "That Bushroot." He sighed. "He really is pacifist of the team."

"Where would we be without him?" Quackerjack asked amused.

Megavolt sighed. "I can't believe I forgot why we were even there in the first place." He murmured sitting down. "We really owe Bushy a lot, and just let myself get carried away. Quackerjack I'm really am sorry I abandoned you like that."

"Nah." Quackerjack shrugged. "Don't worry about it, it was really nice to see you go starry eyed at last. You're so serious all the time I didn't think you had a passion for anything! So you really were the science nerd in school?" he asked amused.

"Well uh." Megavolt rubbed his neck. "I guess."

"Megs, did you or did you not use every single chance you had to sit in some lab inventing stuff and calculating numbers?" Quackerjack asked.

"Okay I did." Megavolt admitted. "In fact these powers." He made a spark fly from his hand. "Is one of my own experiments kinda of back firing."

"Cool!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "That is really awesome!"

"Really?" Megavolt asked.

"Absolutely." Quackerjack acknowledged in a smile. "I had actually been wondering what your real passion was for a while, so nice to figure it out." He flung and arm around Megavolts shoulder. "And I believe we have some unfinished business to deal with bro, it's time to do something nice for Bushy for a change."

"Agreed," Megavolt smiled warmly flinging his arm around Quackerjack's shoulder. "And onward…March!"

* * *

><p>As the two superheroes, this time in a rather good, almost chatty mood, went all the way back to the lab they started noticing the crowds that seemed to become bigger and bigger, and it started to become that more difficult to find a way through.<p>

"Move aside, get away! Make way!" Quackerjack exclaimed pushing himself through, Megavolt following closely behind. "What's all the commotion about!" Quackerjack asked loudly.

"I have no idea!" Megavolt returned. "But there are cameras, look!" he pointed and true enough, there seemed to be a whole number of journalists with their camera men.

"I'll say." Quackerjack blinked. "Well, all the better reason to figure what is going on! Come on!" and he grabbed Megavolts arm to harshly pull the rat with him through the crowds.

"Sorry, excuse me, so sorry!" Megavolt hastily said as he bumped into several people, and his huge battery didn't make it much better as that thing seemed to ram into someone every time Megavolt tried to make a little turn to apologize, and then he would just be pulled away by Quackerjack, until the two at last made it all the way through and managed to burst through the crowds. However, they ended up becoming unbalanced, falling down on their stomachs as they finally squeezed through the masses

"Oww." Quackerjack grunted.

"You said it." Megavolt complained, rubbing his neck as he looked up. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "It's that Gandra lady from yesterday!"

"Miss Fake I think is the word you're looking for." Quackerjack commented.

"My proudest accomplishments yet." Gandra was speaking into a microphone. "The energy storage device of the future." She proudly brandished what looked like a handheld vacuum cleaner. "With this, the world will never lack energy ever again, as the source of its energy can be anything! From animals to living plants, as long as they have energy inside of them can be siphoned with this machine. Then the energy can be stored and released, all without the release of CO2."

"HEY!" Megavolt exclaimed. "That's my invention! I invented that yesterday!"

"That cow!" Quackerjack snarled, his eyes narrowing in anger. "That little thief!"

"You're love for the environment never ceases to amaze." A news reporter was talking to Gandra. "So now you have both solved the issues of pollution and the oncoming energy crisis. Whatever is next? The cure to cancer?" At that everyone around them laugher.

"Well, cancer is not really my thing." Gandra smiled smugly as she tried to appear humble. It failed, at least to Quackerjack and Megavolt it failed. "I will just stick to what I do best, in my own private lab."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Megavolt jumped up on the podium, Quackerjack close behind him. The public gasped as several cameras was suddenly pointed in the direction of the two heroes.

"That invention is not hers, it's mine!" Megavolt pointed at himself. "And that fertilizer is invented by Reginald Bushroot, she's a fraud!" he pointed an accusing finger at Gandra.

"How dare you!" Gandra exclaimed. "I am a fully qualified scientist."

"Scientist my ass." Quackerjack grunted. "You don't even know uranium from nitric!"

Megavolt blinked and turned to Quackerjack. "And you do?" he asked surprised.

Quackerjack shrugged. "I get around."

"Would you please get off the stage?" Gandra hissed. "This is my glorious moment, mine!"

"NO!" Megavolt yelled loudly. "You don't deserve any of this; you're a spoiled ugly fake! You steal the hard work of others! Me, my friends! Who else have you stolen from?"

"Say that again!" Gandra's face was turning scarlet red. "You worthless little rat! Why do you deserve the glory! You're a wretched thing! You and Bushroot and that Crackshell fool!"

"You're a monster!" Quackerjack shouted. "You stole Bushroot's fertilizer!"

"What if I did? What does it matter!" Gandra shrieked. "What the hell do you care, you bucktoothed, squinty eyed, badly dressed freak! Get them!" She bellowed at the guard standing around, who were as shocked as the rest of the crowd. "Or have you forgotten who signs your paycheck!"

The two guards looked at each other, gulped and nodded. Suddenly the two big burly guards were behind Quackerjack and Megavolt. They grabbed them by their shoulders.

"Finally, about time!" Gandra hissed. "Throw them out!"

Megavolts face darkened. "Bushroot may be too nice for his own good, rather see his things doing good for others people. Even if it means making fortunes for others than see them forgotten, but I am not that nice!" he stated. "I rather see my work forgotten than in the hands of likes of you!" he shouted and a big electrical stream sprung from his hand and zoomed towards the invention. It collided with it and the machine immediately started absorbing.

"ARGH!" Gandra yelled jumped away as the machine begain to raise off the ground and shake violently.

And Megavolt kept feeding it ."Come on, come on!" he hissed blasting with even more power.

"Uh Megsy." Quackerjack hesitated. "It's not working."

"It has to." Megavolt grunted. "Shoot!" and he suddenly collapsed, worn out and drained. Quackerjack looked at the machine which was now blinking and bobbing. Then suddenly, without much warning, it exploded in an inferno, sending everyone down on the ground. Slowly Gandra propped herself up on her elbows, stared wide-eyed at the remains of the machine. "No." she whispered.

Megavolt smirked though he also clearly looked exhausted from the power drain. "What's the matter?" he asked in a light mocking tone. "You invented it did you not? If you did you can just build a new one right? After all, you must have the blue prints, or... oh shoot, I forgot!" he snapped his fingers. "The only blue prints are in here!" and he grinningly pointed at his own skull. "Well how about that, tough luck!"

"ARGH!" Gandra screamed as she rose up from the ground. She looked an utter mess, her blond hair in a tangle, her lab coat far from clean, it was dirtied and wrinkled, and her face twisted until it became uglier than a goblin's. "I'LL TEACH YOU, YOU RAT!" she shouted. "Give me that!" she grabbed a gun out of her guard's hand and aimed it at Megavolt. "You're finished!"

"YIKES!" Megavolt didn't even have time to react as she fired. Fortunately he was saved the last second as Quackerjack pulled him backwards, out of the way.

"Run for it!" they ran but were stopped with a massive wall of cameras all pointed in their directions.

"STUPID PRESS!" Megavolt shouted. "NOT NOW!" and the two heroes dodged as a new bullet came flying their direction. They had to run back and forth, avoiding several bullets on their way, the public spreading out in a wild panic as Megavolt and Quackerjack managed to jump behind one of the big signs with Gandra's pretty face plastered on it.

"Come on out." Gandras voice hissed. "You can't hide forever."

"You realize how pathetic this is right?" Quackerjack whispered to Megavolt. "We are two superheroes hiding from one girl."

"An insane woman with a gun!" Megavolt corrected. "And we really are losers," he murmured. "The public could get hurt."

"What do we do?" Quackerjack asked. "It's not like you're going to be much good, you're out of juice!"

Megavolt sighed, then his eyes widened. "Don't worry." He instructed. "I got an idea, listen." He began to whisper in Quackerjack's ear. The clown's face broke into a grin, and he began to giggle madly.

* * *

><p>Gandra walked around in fast strides with an insane look in her eyes. "Come out, come out." She hissed as the public scrambled. "Or I'll just shoot one of these!" she pointed her gun at the running people.<p>

"Yo, ugly!"

Gandra's head turned upwards, and saw Quackerjack bouncing around up on the stage, standing on his hands. "Ugly?" Gandra hissed. "How dare you!"

"Well you are!" Quackerjack laughed. "You gotta be the ugliest cow I've ever seen!"

"ARRGH!" Gandra screamed and fired at Quackerjack, him easily dodging. "I'll get you! Somehow I'll get you!"

"HAHAHA!" Quackerjack laughed. "Little on brain, little on looks, nothing in aim! You are nothing! You're a joke!" he howled. He began to moo at her, a bit grin on his face.

Gandra screamed and started shooting like a maniac, so busy was she that she didn't notice the person who had sneak up on her from behind. All of a sudden she was gripped by both her arms forcing her to drop the gun. "NO!" Gandra shouted. "I'll get you for that!" she cried. "I am a beautiful woman! Everyone desires me, so I can get whatever I want!"

"No." Megavolt sighed as he held her hands firmly. "You are an ugly woman, to the core; you can't get anything that you want, not anymore. That's over, and this is over, all of it."

"NO!" Gandra shouted and then fell down on her knees tears falling down her face. "I want to be pretty, I want to be adored, is that too much to ask?" she cried. "I am not ugly, I am not ugly...I am not…" and she burst into uncontrollable sobbing, right there on the ground.

"I never thought you were the least bit attractive." Megavolt informed the crying scammer. "I would hate to be stuck in the same room as you for long. You see, to be really adored by people, looks aren't enough. In fact they aren't even necessary. I got a friend, he doesn't look like much, but everyone who knows him automatically adores him, because he is kind to the core. I came here just to help him, to do something nice for him in return. I'm sure if you could get the heart to do something unselfish for someone else, you could be very beautiful."

Gandra looked up at him with red tear filled eyes, her thick make-up running down her face, making her look more unappealing than ever. "That's bull crap." She stated firmly, and that was it. That ugly word coming out of that ugly woman's mouth told it all, and Megavolt just knew there was no redeeming qualities in this one. She would be going to jail, and good riddance. She could no longer get her hands on Bushroot's inventions, or hurt anyone else's life.

It was though, with regret Megavolt witnessed the broken woman being taken away by Officer Bulba, who had driven up the moment he heard that two of the Friendly Four had gotten into a shootout. He nodded at the two as he cuffed Gandra and stuffed her into the squad car. Megavolt watched her being hauled away listlessly. What a damn waste.

"Two cents for your thoughts." Quackerjack commented as he observed with Megavolt.

"I was just thinking what a group of losers we are." He murmured. "All of this, and we still are no closer to what we came for in the first place."

"Well." Quackerjack mussed. "We did expose Gandra right, so people must be wondering where the inventions came from! We're closer. And she kinda did admit to stealing."

"Not really, she just said it didn't matter, and it probably doesn't to her. And how do we prove it was Bushroot who invented it?" Megavolt asked. "Now anyone could come and claim it to be theirs! I don't think being screamed at by a crazy woman is exactly admissible in court!"

"Oh yeah." Quackerjack realized. And they both sighed simultaneously.

"Why the sad faces?" A voice came from behind. "Put a smile on your face! Because when there is trouble, the Liquidator always has the answer!"

"LIKKY!" the two heroes yelled and twirled around.

"How did you find us!" Quackerjack asked.

"Really not that hard." The Liquidator looked annoyed at them. "You're everywhere in the news!" he pointed up in the air and at the television screen on top of a building showing their live conversation, all the way down to where the Liquidator was pointing.

"Whoops." Megavolt murmured.

"And while you two were out having fun..." The Liquidator started. "I have been doing the real work! If you just knew all the papers I have gone through to get to it! All night!" he exclaimed.

"Wait." Megavolt looked up at him. "You mean?"

The Liquidator grinned. "I do indeed mean, and I think that makes me the hero of the day."

"No way!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "You did paperwork; the two of us could have been shot!"

"You know what." Megavolt cut in. "I don't care, let's get out of here!"

* * *

><p>In the greenhouse, the base of the Friendly Four, it was getting rather late, particularly for Bushroot who had been minding his own business all day. He was satisfied to notice how all of his friends were back again, and even all were in a better mood. They deserved to be, it was so rare for them to have an occasion to be happy. Rubbing his eyes and straightening out his sore back Bushroot yawned as he went for his lab table to make the finishing notes for the day before he retired. Suddenly he noticed something; something was different at the table. His eyes fell on a square yellow box in green with a purple band around it and a bow on top. Its presence stunned Bushroot, who looked at it with suspicion, until he saw the greeting card on top. Warily Bushroot looked himself over the shoulder, as if he suspected some kind of intruder, but of course that was just silly...Carefully Bushroot flipped the card, and it weren't really of that much help as all it said was: "For Reginald Bushroot."<p>

Frowning Bushroot eyed the box anew, squinting his eyes and putting his head askew as he just looked at it, puzzled. At last he reached out and very carefully pulled in the bow so the band fell elegantly down the green box. Even more carefully he took a hold on the lid, and very slowly took it off before placing it on the table. Holding his breath Bushroot bowed forwards, keeping one eye closed as looked down with the other one, and then both his eyes widened. He blinked a couple of times, and then as he was holding his breath he reached down to pull up a framed diploma in his shaking hands. A PHD with his name on it. Bushroot couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him, holding in his hands. This was too impossible, it just wasn't possible! How could it be? And with a snap Bushroot head turned as he discovered that he was being observed by his three comrades, who were looking like something out of a Marx brother's movie. Poking their heads out of the door frame, the Liquidator in the bottom, Megavolt in the middle and Quackerjack on top of them all, he probably was standing on his toes back there. Bushroot blinked. "You?" he asked stunned.

The three heroes grinned three big great grins as they finally stepped out and into the room, now looking rather sheepish.

"But…but..but.." Bushroot stammered. "But how?" he asked bewildered.

And the three stepped aside to let a little bird pass. "Hello Reggie." The little bird greeted. "Or should I say Doctor?"

"Doctor Vulture!" Bushroot exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Silly question isn't it Doctor?" Vulture asked. "I am just handing you something I should have given you years and years ago."

"I... I don't know what to say." Bushroot stammered unsure.

"How about a thank you?" Quackerjack asked impatiently. "If you just knew..."

"Shhh!" Megavolt hissed grapping Quackerjack's beak keeping the jester from talking any further. "It was the least we could do and it was no trouble at all! Okay!"

Quackerjack glared at the rat, but then at last nodded, just so that Megavolt would let go of his beak.

Bushroot looked wide-eyed at them. "Thank you." He barely whispered.

"Enough of this!" Liquidator stated. "Let's celebrate!"

"Hurray!" Quackerjack jumped up and down. "Hurray for Doctor Bushroot!"

"Guys." Bushroot was suddenly in a deeper shade of dark green. "You really don't have to."

"Oh trust me." Suddenly Megavolt was beside the plant duck flinging an arm around him. "We did. If anyone deserves some celebration, it's you my friend."

Bushroot was simply at a loss for words as he smiled sheepishly, tightly holding his degree in his hands. "Thanks guys." He whispered.

"Wait right here!" Megavolt instructed. "We'll go get the cake and champagne!"

"You didn't." Bushroot looked stunned at them.

"Of cause we did!" Megavolt laughed pushing his other two team mates with him out of the door. Bushroot could do nothing else than smile warmly as he looked at the door they had vanished through.

"So Reggie." Doctor Vulture looked up at him. "I'm so glad to see you, alive and…you are well are you not?"

"I'm very well sir." Bushroot responded in a smile.

"No sirs, we have the same degree." Vulture insisted pointing at Bushroot's diploma. "So, how does it feel?"

"I'm…a bit overwhelmed." Bushroot swallowed. "I don't know how they could get such a mad idea!"

"You want the degree don't you?" Vulture asked.

"Of course!" Bushroot let out. "I think it's the only thing I ever kind of wanted, the only thing I regret about not being normal anymore. It's the one thing I ever really wanted to do, that I know I can't as I am now, and they just...how could they know?" he asked bewildered. "I never told them that I..!"

"Seems to me it's quite the family you've become a part off." Vulture smiled vaguely as several crashes suddenly sounded from where he supposed the kitchen was.

Bushroot smiled, affection for his crazy friends all over his face. "Yeah." He acknowledged. "You know it's a real family because we fight all the time, I owe them more than just a degree." Bushroot sighed. "I wouldn't be here without them."

"What is it with you and not wanting people to do something nice for you, boy?" Vulture asked. "Just take the degree and be grateful. I spend over twenty four house with that Liquidator fellow, trust me, he doesn't want you to give anything in return."

Bushroot shook his head as he smiled, when finally the other three entered, Quackerjack with what looked like wiped cream in his face, Megavolt carrying the cake while scolding the Liquidator for almost getting him wet and the Liquidator floating with the champagne and glasses, retorting that Megavolt should just learn to watch where he was going. Vulture let out a genuine warm laughter. "I like you're family!" he stated.

Bushroot chuckled amused. "I do to." He smiled.

* * *

><p>EN: Hope yall enjoyed it. I mostly just corrected spelling errors and fixed a few lines so they fit better with the story. Hope you liked it.

_Next time: The planet is being invaded! An alien warlord is determined to take over the Earth, and he's starting with St. Canard. When the Friendly Four face him they're gonna need a little help…_


	7. Lord Comet

Chapter Seven

Lord Comet

Three very different sets of feet hurtled through a dimly lit metal corridor. The first set was a pair of purple feet, with hints of deeper purple spots going up the legs. The second set was a set of four blue paws, each with little black claws. The last set belonged to something in between a quadruped and a biped, with long black arms that could easily have been used to propel their owner on four legs, but was more like hands then paws.

*Speed up, Wacko. He will be lost at this rate!*

"Cool it, Nieslp." The purple one's stalk eyes turned to meet another pair of eyes, large blue ones. "We'll get him."

*This body is far faster then you. You should have let me go first!*

"Grrr, no. Argue. Breath. Save." The creature behind the blue one snarled.

*I most certainly do not have that issue, Girg.*

"Worm shut up." Girg said.

"Enough, both of you." Wacko looked back at the pair. "Come on guys, what would the Commander think?"

*Duck!*

Wacko turned his left stalk just in time to see a blue laser blast heading his direction. He ducked his big purple head, just missing the blast by an inch. He could hear heavy footsteps ahead of them. Footsteps that surely belonged to the villain! Wacko gritted his teeth and pushed on.

Rounding a corner they saw their prey racing towards an airlock. Wacko aimed a blaster at him and shouted. "Freeze, robot!"

The robotic dog creature turned with a metallic growl. "You are too late, Wacko. Lord Comet is far from this system! By the time you figure out where he has gone you'll never be able to save that world!"

"Why would you even follow a Mertzian? They're all insane warmongers!" Wacko argued. The robot made no reply.

"Tell, where going." Girg lumbered up beside Wacko. The big huge claws on the alien's back snapped aggressively at the robot.

"No." The robot dog aimed his own blasters at the group and fired wildly, poking holes in the thin spaceship hull.

*You fool! This old thing cannot withstand that kind of power! You shall blast through if you are not careful!* Nieslp "shouted" as he dodged.

"Unlike you, I don't need air! I'll never be caught by you! I'll leave your corpses to float in space! See how your commander likes that!"

"No, I don't think I will like that at all."

The robot turned, seemingly startled. A huge, black clawed hand slipped through the airlock door and slashed through, cutting the door in two. A black shrouded figure slipped through the ruined airlock as the vacuum of space started to suck the four others out. However, the black aura around the figure slipped away and formed a barrier around the place where the airlock had been, stopping the vacuum before anyone could be sucked in.

"Commander!" Wacko shouted in joy.

The Commander nodded and grabbed the robot by the neck, one hand still aimed at the airlock. Black energy seemed to be flowing from a gauntlet on his left hand to the force field. There was another gauntlet on his right, glowing but apparently inactive.

"Go back to the ship. I will take care of this. You did well, men." The Commander nodded to them.

"Right, let's go." Wacko didn't want to stay and strain his Commander. He and the other three left, grateful to be gone.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later the three were back on the ship, reporting to the other two members of the small crew.<p>

It would have been a surprise to many that one of the other two was actually a Mertzian, a small, weak looking man known only as Guy. However, he was the only one of his kind that was not a superpowered lunatic with delusions of grandeur, and as such he was an exile from his own home.

The last member of the crew was Nok, a little cabbage that stood on six little green legs. He was a Larsonian Mutant Cabbage, a refugee like most of his kind. The poor things had been granted intelligence from a radiation leak, but the Larson cows had not recognized them as real living things, and ate them with impunity. Nok's people were scattered about the universe, and though they had the power to duplicate living things, and through this power rule worlds, they chose not to use this power for conquest. Although they did modify themselves enough to grow little legs to make themselves mobile, as well as some sort of mouth, buried somewhere in the cabbage leaves.

Since both Nok and Guy were not combat heavy members of the crew, they instead had different work. Guy was an excellent cook and could make even the strangest of alien foods into something edible to all members of the crew that had to eat. Nok, who was very smart and could manipulate things with his little foot-hands, could scramble around the engine room, fixing anything that needed to be fixed.

"So you found Big Nasty?" Guy asked. "Where is the Commander?"

*The Commander is…handling it."

Guy grimaced. "I wish he weren't so…aggressive."

"He has to be. Lord Comet won't back down!" Wacko said.

"I know, I just wish there was another way." Guy said.

"We all do, but..."

"At least he's alone now! No way he can get back to his troops with that barricade! We've tracked down the last of the ones that fled with him after the battle! General Rcus really turned that battle around." Wacko said.

"Commander get Comet. Only Commander have power. Only we can help. We his crew." Girg said. "And Guy have…thing."

"None of us really have the strength to face Comet!" Guy sighed. "And it may be ready, but I'm not sure if my invention will work."

"Don't despair, Guy. The five of you have more heart and soul then Comet has in his little toe! Don't sell yourselves short. There is a reason I chose all of you."

"Commander!" The five of them saluted their leader as he thumped onto the bridge. He was the tallest of all them, even taller than Girg. He nodded at the five of them, the signal for them to relax, as he walked over to his chair, situated in the very front of the ship, right in front of the view screen, and sank down on it.

"He is heading towards a small planet at the edge of the galaxy, a planet called Earth. Set a course for it, Wacko, and let's finish this."

"Aye Commander!" Wacko raced for the navigation chair, which was situated in the center of the craft, above the Commander's chair. Wacko brought up the display and punched in the coordinates for Earth. As he did this Nieslp trotted over to the left gunner chair and Girg took the right.

"Guy, is that invention of yours ready?" The Commander asked.

"Yes, I think it is." Guy said nervously.

"Good, if I fail you use it. Even if I am in the way." The Commander looked at Guy in the eyes, who nodded. "Forward, Mr. Wacko." The Commander said as he turned back.

"Aye, Sir!" Wacko pushed a button, and the hyperdrive engaged.

They would be at Earth within the hour.

* * *

><p>"Okay, here is the plan-"Megavolt started to say, until Quackerjack interrupted.<p>

"Why do we need a plan again?" Quackerjack asked.

"Because, Quackerjack." Megavolt gritted his teeth. "We don't want them to escape. Again."

"It is just Khola and Dingo." Bushroot said with a shrug. "They're not exactly supervillains, more like blundering thieves."

"Still, we need to be careful, even against Khola and Dingo." Megavolt said. "You never know what will happen."

"He has a point." The Liquidator said. "Statistics show that preparedness is better than rushing in."

"Plus, I see an Electro-Magnetic Superthingy." Megavolt said. "I bet it's like a huge magnet or something. It'll probably attract all the metal in a five mile radius. I don't know what those two want with a bunch of metal, but we have to stop it!"

"…you can tell all of that from just looking at it once from ten feet away as you huddle behind a crate in an abandoned warehouse?" Quackerjack asked.

"Yeah, can't you?"

"…you are such a nerd."

"And you're a clown!"

"At least I've never received a wedgie." Quackerjack grinned.

"Did you even go to a real school, Richy Rich?" Megavolt grumbled.

"Actually I ran away to join the circus when I was fourteen."

"…seriously?" Megavolt stared at him.

"Just because my family had a lot of money doesn't mean I had to stay with the snob patrol." Quackerjack said.

"A circus…"

"If it helps my family's known the ringmaster's family for years, so it really wasn't running away so much as it was visiting an uncle."

"The more I learn about you the stranger you become." Megavolt said.

The Liquidator looked at Bushroot. "You and I are the only normal ones here."

"That's scary." Bushroot smiled. "But true."

"I say me and Likky just tackle them, and you and Bushroot play science games with the science thing." Quackerjack said. "Trust me; if I touch that thing it'll be to break it."

"And yet you are a building a robot bear in your underground lair." Megavolt said. "You must be some sort of idiot savant. It's the only explanation."

"I am not an idiot!" Quackerjack said.

"…whatever. Regardless it's not a…bad plan. You think it'll work guys?" Megavolt looked at Bushroot and the Liquidator, who nodded. "Alright, let's go!"

At this moment Dr. Khola was bellowing something about collecting all the metal in St. Canard to use on his new project, Megavolt really didn't care. Like Quackerjack he was becoming less and less tolerant of mad plans and such. He had been hearing them for years, and he was getting bored with them. After the fiftieth Take Over The World By Collecting a Resource Plan you got a little fed up of it all. The only worse one was the Let's Make a Shrink Ray, and the ever popular I Have a Big Death Ray. It was funny how most of these plans involved rays of some sort. It was strange.

"Let's do this before Steelbeak and Bulba show up. I'd rather not have to listen to them pick at each other." Bushroot said.

"But it's hilarious!" Quackerjack said.

"Okay, then let's at least do it now so I don't have to listen to Dr. Khola over there rant about the world falling to its knees before him anymore." Megavolt grumbled. "I think he's going to make my eardrums bleed!"

"Your wish is my command, Megs! It's Plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaytiiiiiime!" Quackerjack howled and activated the springs in his shoes, shooting right at Dingo with little other warning. Normal people would have been too busy being shocked by the shout, and the fact that there was now a colorful blur bouncing towards them, but Dingo had the instincts of a killer. He whirled around at the sound of Quackerjack coming for him and punched. The blow landed on Quackerjack's chin and sent the clown flying across the room.

"All that dare challenge the Dingo shall be met with the fury of the Gods in my fists! I will rip your intestines out through your spine! Eat the Fury, duck!" Dingo bounced after Quackerjack and tried to kick, but Quackerjack dodged and launched a few exploding marbles, which temporarily blinded the crazed kangaroo. Quackerjack jumped and wrapped his arms around Dingo's neck. Dingo went nuts, bouncing around the room and screaming in anger. Quackerjack didn't budge.

After making sure that Quackerjack wasn't going to be killed, the Liquidator rushed over Dr. Khola, and swept him underneath a nice wave. Dr. Khola sputtered and shrieked, reaching such decibels that would have shattered fine wine glasses, but the Liquidator was probably the only person in the world who wasn't affected by his shrill voice. And Khola, despite his mad brilliance, wasn't really equipped to fight a being of pure water. Though the Liquidator wasn't going to kill him, he did manage to pin and subdue him in water.

"Have fun with that, Megavolt." The Liquidator nodded stiffly at the device. Megavolt nodded and edged past the Liquidator, Bushroot at his heels.

"Okay, let's see. Reverse the wires on the left side of the s-plange. Turn the interior electro-carbon converter…" Megavolt tore off a panel and began to fiddle with wires with the fury of a man possessed. Despite the fact that Megavolt had just be lecturing about plans and taking things responsibly, he did have a slightly enamored look in his eyes. It was clear that, even though he was trying to disable the device, he was still starry eyed as he fiddled with the machine…

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, right above the planet, in orbit, a sleek black starship chased what appeared to be a small flying saucer. The black ship's red laser ammo cut through the darkness of space, but the small saucer dodged each one.<p>

*No offense to you, Guy, but I hate your race's small ships.* Nieslp said.

Guy didn't usually come on the bridge, preferring the mess hall as his realm. However, he just had to be here to see this. This was important to him, and to everyone else affected by Lord Comet's evil.

"At least we know there is only Comet." Wacko said as he eyed his display screen. "He has no more troops in this sector! He came here to hide and lick his wounds."

"Yes, and we won't let him." The Commander was eyeing his own screen. "Wait…Wacko, what are these energy readings I'm detecting?"

"I…have no idea! But they're coming from that planet."

*Impossible! There is no way that a race that primitive can make energy readings like that! They are worse then Girg!*

"That tru-….hey!" Girg looked over and glared at him.

"Watch out! It's spiking!" Wacko bellowed as the energy signature from Earth shot forwards and hit Lord Comet's small ship. The ship shuddered and was pulled downwards, much to the shock of the crew.

"How…how did that happen? That technology should be beyond those Earth people!" Guy shouted.

"We have to go after it! Now! I don't know what kind of experiment the natives of that planet might be running, but they have no idea what they just fished out of the stars! Get it! I won't lose Comet!" The commander shouted.

Wacko nodded and got up, followed by Girg and Nieslp. They rushed out of the comand center. After a few moments the Commander got up and followe dthem out. "Guy, take care of the ship."

Guy nodded. "Aye." He walked over to the command chair and hit a few buttons. He gulped when he saw the ship's smaller fighter emerge from dockign bay. "Good luck." He muttered.

* * *

><p>On Earth, in the warehouse, Dingo's mad jumping was making Quackerjack dizzy. Quackerjack had a clacking teeth set in his hands and was nipping at Dingo's neck with them, but they didn't penetrate the thick fur around Dingo's ruff. Dingo jumps neared to the top of the warehouse, shaking his head in an effort to dislodged Quackerjack.<p>

"Get off!" Dingo bellowed and leaped sideways. He flew through the air, and he didn't bother to look where he was going. Megavolt looked up just in time to see both of them flying towards him. He leaped to the side.

"Quakerjack! Let go!" Megavolt screamed. Quackerjack looked up and saw the machine heading for his head, but didn't have time to do anything. He and Dingo rocketed through the open panel to slam into the devices interior. Megavolt clapped his hands over his head and howled.

"Quacky! Oh no!" He didn't even notice the fact that the device was shuddering, and the radar dish top was now whirling around to point to the sky. Dingo's tail flapped to the side, activating the device.

Perhaps it had something to do with the combined weight of duck and kangaroo, but when the device turned on it did so in a concentrated, but powerful beam that sliced upwards into the sky. Dingo, who didn't seem especially phased by any of this, stood up and walked two steps. He looked around, grinned, and dragged Quackerjack out of the device. With a howl of anger he lifted Quackerjack and tossed him to the other side of the warehouse. If Quackerjack had not been unconscious before, he certainly was now. He slid to the ground, and didn't move.

"You!" Megavolt shot a bolt of lightning at Dingo, who fell back, but didn't seem bothered by the shock. Instead Dingo lunged at Megavolt, punching out at him with his fists. Megavolt stumbled back, shooting Dingo as he backed up. Bushroot moved towards Quackerjack, intent on helping.

However, their efforts were put on hold when all of a sudden a small object smashed into the device, shattering it to pieces. Everyone stopped for a brief moment, turning to look at the thing that had landed. The wreckage shuddered, and then a small saucer object erupted from the debris.

"…is that a tiny flying saucer?" The Liquidator asked.

The saucer shuddered and a foot emerged. Then a leg, and then another leg, and finally the entire alien was out of the saucer, the ship sitting on his head like a little hat.

"Ahhh! It doesn't have a nose!" Khola screamed.

Indeed, the alien had a flat, pinkish face, with no snout to speak of, or a beak for that matter, though it did have an unusually large lower jaw. There was a strange growth between its mouth and eyes that might have been a snout, but it was smaller than even the smallest of cat noses. The creature did have the appropriate number of arms and legs, but it was completely and utterly hairless, at least as far as the Earthlings could see. It's saucer craft was perched on its head, making it look utterly ridiculous. It wore a dark black outfit, a skintight outfit that looked for all the world like a leotard, and a wavy black cape. The creature looked around at the Earthlings.

"Peasants! Bow before Lord Comet of Mertz!" The alien's voice sounded…well…a little dumb. "You're planet is mine now! Yohoooooo!"

"…you have got to be joking." The Liquidator said dryly.

In response the alien turned to the Liquidator and a beam of blue light emerged from the alien's eyes. All at once the Liquidator felt himself hardening. His body began to freeze, to his utter horror. While he was distracted Khola leaped out of the Liquidator and rushed over to the alien. He gave a short bow to the alien and motioned for Dingo, who bounced over. The Liquidator was soon frozen solid, and he could feel that he wasn't going to be melting anytime soon.

"Sure, we'll be your servants! Just help us get rid of these do gooders! I just know they'll try to stand in your way!"

"Kh-"Dingo began, but Khola grabbed him by the neck and brought the kangaroo's head closer.

"It's either the alien or the Four! Which do you really think I'm going to pick!"

"…may the Dingo think about that?"

"No! Do as you're told!"

"Very well. Consider yourselves con…con…hired." Lord Comet said. His eyes turned to the two remaining members of the four. "You can be a part of my new army! We will conquer this planet and its pathetic citizens, for I am Lord Comet, Conqueror of the planet Mertz!"

"Hmmm, let's see. Obey a clearly evil villain out to take over our world or kick that villain into next Tuesday…I think I'll take Tuesday!" Megavolt bellowed an aimed a bolt at Lord Comet, who deflected it with his arm.

Comet's eyes slide over their heads as a black starship started to come into view. He grinned a bit and pressed something on the spaceship that was even now perched on his head. A set of almost goofy looking grabber claws emerged and grasped the frozen Liquidator.

"Let's go men!" Lord Comet bellowed as he turned around, flanked by Dingo and Khola. Megavolt and Bushroot were on their trail in a second.

To Megavolt and Bushroot's relief, a black car pulled up and a rooster poked his head out the window. The car was being trailed by a police car, from which Detective Bulba emerged. Bulba had taken to following the trademark black car around, as if he could somehow sense Steelbeak's presence. He still didn't really trust Steelbeak, so he tailed him.

"Steelbeak! Bulba! Go help Quackerjack! He's hurt in there! We're after the alien!"

"…Alien?" Bulba looked past the now retreating figures of Megavolt and Bushroot to see a large…thing carrying an apparently frozen Liquidator in a pair of stupid looking grabber cay things. "What is going on?"

"Looks like your typical alien invasion to me." Steelbeak said with an annoying grin. Annoying to Bulba at least.

"This is typical for you?"

"Just another busy Monday, babe!" Steelbeak said as he walked towards the door the warehouse that the Comet, his new minions, and half of the Four just came from.

"Do stop calling me that."

"Sure babe."

"Do you listen to anyone other than yourself?"

"Yep, sounds good."

"…I hate you."

"So nice of you say." Steelbeak grinned.

"…you win this round."

"Thanks for playing."

Bulba sighed. Steelbeak always seemed to want the last word. It drove him insane.

As the two burst into the warehouse Bulba gasped in shock, and Steelbeak frowned. Bulba brought out his pistol and Steelbeak also pulled his own weapon from the inside of his jacket, a strange looking white gun with a rather large barrel.

Standing there, right in front of them, prompting the need for the weapons, were two of the oddest things they had ever seen. One of them was almost like a blue centaur, with the upper body and torso and arms of a person, but with the lower body of an animal. Only instead of a horse the lower body seemed more like that of a canine, with a wolf's chest and back and four long legs with paws. Its head was long and angular, and shaped almost like a perfect triangle, with a pointed snout and two long ears jutting out from the back. There was a long, black mane growing from the top of its head down to lie on its wolfish back. It had a long, fluffy blue tail, but the fuzz on the tail looked hard and spiky, almost like the spines of a porcupine. It had no mouth to speak off. The creature was holding Quackerjack in its blue arms. Qauckerjack's eyes were closed, and he wasn't moving.

"Put him down!" Steelbeak shouted.

The creature took a step towards them. All of a sudden something moved from the side, and Bulba turned and almost screamed. This creature was somehow worse! Maybe it was the insectiod way the creature moved. It was long and thin, and covered with what looked like a thin layer of shell. It at first appeared to have only two long arms and legs, until you got a good look at the back, where another pair of large claw like appendages clicked. To Bulba's horror the back claws moved upwards and hovered over the things' head. There was another pair of arms, small and delicate looking, that were being held close to the chest. The creature's head was thankfully not insectiod, but was instead a long, crocodile maw filled with razor sharp teeth. It had small, almost normal looking eyes. The creature stepped towards them again with two-toed, clawed feet.

"Get away!" Bulba snarled and fired at the thing's head. The bullet ricocheted against the alien's head. It did nothing to the alien save for knocking its head back a bit. Bulba growled in anger and started to fire at the thing some more. The creature tucked in its head and threw its arms over itself, curling into a ball. The bullets didn't seem to affect it, and the bullets continued to bounce around the room. Bulba was about to fire a few more rounds but Steelbeak placed a hand on his arm.

"You're gonna hit someone. Let me." Steelbeak aimed his strange white gun and fired a canister at the alien. To Bulba's surprise the canister blew up and rained smog on the curled up thing. The alien uncurled and gasped for air as the smoke settled around him.

"What is that?" Bulba asked.

"Sleep gas. I try to leave even the monsters alive." Steelbeak said with a smile.

"Yeah? I don't think its working!" Bulba shouted as the alien shook its head and roared at them. It charged, running on all fours with a terrible scream. Bulba and Steelbeak jumped to either side, and the alien barreled past. To their surprise it immediately whirled around and leaped over their heads, sticking to the ceiling like a bug. It scurried along the roof to land beside its fellow extraterrestrial. The blue one broke into a run, still carrying Quakerjack. Steelbeak and Bulba were on the alien's heels in a flash, but they were too far away. All of a sudden a black barrier sprang up between them and the aliens.

Steelbeak growled and to Bulba's surprise attempted to bit the black barrier. His head snapped back as his metal beak bounced off the barrier. He worked his lower from side to side, rubbing the underside of it.

"Okay, that's some tough stuff." Steelbeak said as Bulba stared at him. He grinned at Bulba. "Hey, the metal jaw's not for show."

Bulba nodded and stepped back. He fired some more shots at the barrier, but nothing happened, not even ricochet this time.

"Your trick gun has any more surprises?" Bulba asked.

Steelbeak nodded. "Okay, attachment number two…the hose!"

But before they could do anything more the barrier dropped, revealing something that neither of the two had noticed, due to the fact that most of their attention had been on the fact that Quackerjack had been in the clutches of an alien. It was a huge, triangular shaped ship, with two smaller arrow like attachments jutting from its back. There was also a pair of ski like attachments on the bottom, the landing gear. It was about the size of a truck or a van.

"It's like those little ships in that old tv show. What was it called?" Bulba said.

"Yeah, and I bet they took Quackerjack in there! Quick! Before they start probing him or something!" Steelbeak said as he rushed for the craft. However, the small arrow things on the back suddenly turned so the tips aimed to the sky and the ends pointing at the ground fired up. Small, but cool glowing energy erupted from the base of the arrow-engines and the craft took to the air.

"No! We've lost them!" Bulba screamed.

"Not if I have anything to say about it! Follow me. We have to visit Area 51!"

"Oh, so there is an alien craft there…why am I not surprised?" Bulba said dryly.

"Hey, your best allies _are_ three fourths of a freak show." Steelbeak said. "A nice freak show, but a freak show."

"Three fourths?"

"Yeah, ol' Bushy's probably the most normal person I know, considering." Steelbeak said.

Bulba nodded in agreement. Swiftly he followed Steelbeak, hoping that they would get to the apparent ship before Quackerjack ended up as alien food.

* * *

><p>"Nieslp, would you mind telling me why I have a bird on my ship?" The Commander folded his arms as he turned from the shuttle craft display and looked at the alien bird still in Nieslp's blue arms. The alien shuffled its paws a bit.<p>

*It was hurt. And the scene down there was…confusing. We couldn't tell if the blue liquid creature, the electric one, and the green one were swearing loyalty to Comet or not. We saw this one hurt, so we thought that if we helped it then it might help us.* Nieslp. *Besides, it was hurt because of us.*

"It not" Girg said. "We no bring Comet here."

"It is risky, especially when you both got shot at by the other aliens that showed up. It is very likely they think you stole an ally of theirs...but…there is some merit to the argument. Girg, get down to the planet and track Comet. Keep on his trail, but do not engage him. Nieslp and I will take this alien back to the ship and see if Wacko can heal him."

Girg nodded and opened a hatch. He leaped out of the craft before it could get to high, landing on a building and rolling in a ball as he went. He went to all fours and scurried along the roofs, his snout sniffing for any sign of his prey. His black armored body blended into the night, and not a single person saw him…

Well, almost no one. As he passed a rather fancy looking restaurant two heads turned to the window as his tail flashed past.

"Did you see something?" The woman, a tall, majestic looking duck wearing a flowing, spidery black gown raised her eyebrows.

Her much smaller companion's eyes narrowed. He did see something, but…

"It's not important…unlike you." The faked romantic smile he gave her was enough to turn her head back to him. She smiled and placed a hand under her chin. The look she was giving him was almost pleasant to him…almost. He still liked slaughtering bunnies more, but she didn't have to know that.

"Now." The disguised Negaduck smiled as he took a small sip of the very expense wine he had stolen quite a bit of money for "I want to know everything about your life, dear Morgana. Tell me more about this magic…"

* * *

><p>Quackerjack groaned and opened his eyes. There was a light shining in his eyes. He twitched and moved his head to the side. What was Megavolt doing? Getting back at him for the silly putty incident?<p>

"Megs! Stop!" He tried to raise his hand to shove whatever it was away. But to his shock his hand didn't move. He felt something soft, but unmovable, strapping him down. He moved his hand a bit, and felt the soft form of Mr. Banana Brain still attached to his belt. This eased his mind somewhat. He suddenly also realized that what he was laying on was not his bed. It felt more like a metal table. He saw…something behind the light. A very odd form that looked like it had stalk eyes. Suddenly the light was pushed to the side and Quackerjack's eyes widened.

_Oh…Bloody hell._ Headboss said.

_Alien! Is it going to probe me!_

_ I don't know!_

_ Oh thanks, Headboss. Fat lot of good you are!_

"Hold still, I think that I-" The purple alien leaned forwards, to be meet by a head butt from Quackerjack, who then hissed as his already damaged skull sent fire down through his brain. That hurt! But he wasn't going to be dissected easily!

"Ow! Hey! Stop that!" Wacko said, shaking his own head.

"No way! I'm not going to let you slimy alien abductors probe me, dissect me or eat me! Stay away or Mr. Banana Brain blows! I'm not afraid to take all of you with me!"

"Okay, first off. I didn't abduct you. We rescued you. I'm not dissecting you or killing you or…probing you…what is probing anyway?"

"Oh, that's when the alien menace sticks their long, glowey tubey stick things up the nearest available hole and violate you!" Quackerjack raised his head up a bit and faux whispered. "It's very Freudian."

Wacko stared at him for a long time. "What kind of aliens would do a silly thing like that? What possible scanning device requires it being stuck up an orifice! I mean, advanced technology would eliminate the need for invasive surgery."

"…I think you're missing the basic point of Freudian subtext." Quackerjack said. He pawed at Mr. Banana Brain and shook it a little, saying "Maybe the alien needs to learn how to read!"

"…is this normal in your culture? What is that totem for?" Wacko asked.

"Totem? This is Mr. Banana Brain! He's my best friend…okay my best toy friend. Megavolt is my best real friend! And no, no one else talks to stuffed animals…fruits. It's because I'm special!" Quackerjack grinned.

"Are you some sort of shaman?"

"No, just crazy."

Wacko blinked. He backed away from Quackerjack. He turned his stalk eyes over his shoulder. "Commander! The alien is scaring me!"

"I'm the one strapped to the dissection table, and I'm scaring _him_." Quackerjack laughed. "At least, I think it's a him? Are you a him? A her? Otherwise?"

"He's_ really_ really scaring me!"

"Hey! How did you know I'm a guy…you didn't …_check_…did you! You perv!" Quackerjack shouted.

"Commander!" Wacko continued to back away, out of Quackerjack's view.

"Wacko, what is the problem here?" Quackerjack heard a sliding sound and a pair of heavy feet enter. Quackerjack burst into laughter.

"Owhahahaha! You're name is Wacko! Hahahahahahaha! Oh man, that's the best thing I have ever heard in my life! Hehehehehe!"

The feet paused. "Is the alien alright?"

"I think he's insane! If he's typical of his race then this planet is insane! He keeps talking about probes!"

"What in the galaxy are probes? He can't mean the ones we use to scan planets…does he?" The Commander said.

"Hey, if you're going to be eating me later, at least do me the favor of seeing who'll be doing the munching!"

"Eaten?" The feet clomped closer, and Quackerjack stared as the Commander came into view. He took one look at the Commander and his mind screamed. Hell even the Headboss was going into hysterics, which the Headboss never did. However, the only outwards sign of Quackerjack's impending mania was more laughter, this time more high pitched and almost screaming.

The thing in front of him was about three times taller than himself. Long, silky red fur covered its body, at least the exposed parts. Quackerjack assumed there must be more. It had long, narrow snout, longer then Girg's, and filled with razor teeth, two of which jutted from its upper jaw like a pair of saber toothed cat teeth. It had long, curved horns that instead of curving upwards like Bulba's, curved downwards under its chin. It had a pair of small, almost cute pointed ears, like a cat's. It had a long tail that came to a barbed point. And, to top off the picture, it had wings. Bright red wings on its back, totally separate from the pair of burly, fuzzy arms it had. It had long black claws at the tips of its hands. It wore a totally black, skintight suit that looked like something out of a superhero comic book. Well, totally black save for the strange skull like symbol on it. It looked like the skull of the alien race this thing belonged to. It wore a pair of black gauntlets on its wrists, with a pulsating black gem in each one. He looked intimidating. Powerful.

And for the life of him Quackerjack couldn't stop laughing.

"Are you well?" The alien's bright red eyes narrowed. "Do you need something?"

"AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!"

"…you are concerning me. Please. Calm down friend." The alien said. He knelt on the floor of the room, brining his huge horned head nearer to Quackerjack's level, as if he hoped that by making himself smaller his guest would calm down. Quackerjack couldn't stop.

"You ahahahahahaahah! You look so ridiculous! Oh god…ahahahahahaha! I think I can die a happy duck now! hahahahaha!"

The Commander pulled back with a snort. "Wacko. Help him."

"How?"

"Tranquilizer. Sleep aid. Some sort of sedative. I don't care. That much laughter isn't helping." The Commander said wryly.

"Right away, sir." Wacko rummaged through what sounded to Quackerjack like a drawer. Wacko reappeared holding a long tube filled with a clear liquid in one hand. He went for Quackerjack's arm.

With the suddenness of a snake striking Quackerjack leaned forwards and strained his neck, biting Wacko on the arm. Hard. His buck teeth, usually not used for this purpose, still sank into the arm, almost breaking the skin. Wacko howled.

The Commander reached towards Quackerjack's neck and touched it gently. Quackerjack bore down harder.

"Let go of my crewman, or I will be forced to take action." The Commander said. Quackerjack glared and shook his head, slinging Wacko around. The Commander's eyes narrowed.

"Have it your way, Earthling." The Commander said. His hand removed itself from Quackerjack's neck to hover over his head. Quackerjack expected him to crush it, ending his life. However, to Quackerjack's surprised a beam of dark energy oozed from the gauntlet and entered into his brain. He felt a horrible draining sensation, a bit like what happened when he had his blood drawn that one time. He suddenly didn't have the energy to fight, and he sank back, letting Wacko go. As soon as he let go the Commander stopped using the strange energy, but Quackerjack still felt drained.

"What did you do?" Quackerjack hissed. He didn't feel like laughing anymore.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that, but you gave me no choice."

"What did you do to me?" Quackerjack glared at the Commander.

"Your kind does not know of the Artherian Black Gauntlets, do you?" The Commander said. "These are one of two remaining sets. They grant the user great power, but at the price of life. They are powered by life itself, and can drain life from any living being. Too much and it can kill. I took enough to tire you, no more. But only because you were biting my crewman."

"You vampire." Quackerjack spat.

"I don't know what a vampire is. I only did it because you gave me no choice." The Commander rose up. "I can kill you easily, you can see that. You can't escape from those bonds, and I can drain you in a instant. But I will not, because that is not how the Untied Galactic Army operates. Something terrible has come to your planet, and I have sworn to bring him to justice. I would like to work with your kind, but not if you insist on biting my men. If you continue to act like a barbarian I will let you off this ship right now, and fight Comet without your aid. Then, if we lose, you can fight him yourself. And you will lose, Earthling."

The Commander got up to leave, and Quackerjack glared as he left. He then turned the glare on Wacko, who was trying to avoid any more contact with the teeth. However, Wacko did bring out a funny looking ring thing, with a bunch of buttons on one side.

"Okay, look. This is what we use to scan people. You were hurt, but it's not going into a hole. I'm just going to run it over your body. Please don't bite." Wacko cautiously activated the thing and started at Quackerjack's head, just hovering the now buzzing thing over his head and downwards. It didn't hurt…in fact it felt almost soothing. Quackerjack kept glaring though, just so the alien knew that he did not appreciate this at all.

The Commander stepped out of the room, legs trembling slightly, and then fell to his knees, his hand flying to his forehead with a hiss of pain.

"Oh gods! The voices! How can that Earthling stand it! The poor mad thing!"

The Commander groaned and shook his head for about three minutes, until Guy rounded a corner and spotted him. Guy rushed over.

"Commander? Are you okay? Is it the alien?"

"I…am fine. The alien…is mad. There is something wrong inside him. So very very wrong." The Commander got up. "And yet…he's so good as well. It was like looking into a broken glass, half light and half dark and a little bit grey. I never want to touch a mind like his again."

"Commander, are you going to be okay?" Guy asked.

"I think so." The Commander said. His eyes slide to the door to the infirmary. "I don't know about our friend, though…"

* * *

><p>"I thought that this place was in a different state?" Bulba said as Steelbeak lead him through what looked for all the world like a drain tunnel.<p>

"Naw, that's just the dummy site." Steelbeak said.

"I'll remember to tell the conspiracy theorists that." Bulba said.

"Be my guest." Steelbeak grinned. "For every conspiracy theorist out there there'll be people to tell them they're nuts. We could spell the location out in fireworks over the city and most won't believe it. We actually like the nutjobs. They make our job easier."

"You are such a bastard." Bulba said.

Steelbeak smiled and tapped a few numbers out on a number pad near the two electronic doors that he had led Bulba to. To his surprise he heard a metallic shifting as something apparently moved around in there. It sounded big.

"What is that?" He asked.

Steelbeak smiled. "Just making sure that we have the closest route to the ship."

"Does it even work?" Bulba asked.

"Yep, it's been tested."

"Let me guess, this is the real source of U.F.O sightings?"

"Not all of em, babe, but we do use it for rescuing people from alien abductors."

"And they don't talk about it?" Bulba asked.

"They don't remember it. Something about the drugs the aliens use." Steelbeak shrugged as the whirring stopped. "Alright, let's go."

Bulba inhaled deeply as the doors opened. His eyes widened as he followed Steelbeak down the sleek, white hall that was now in front of him. The door closed behind him, but he barely noticed it. He could see up ahead, sitting on a raised platform. It was as white as the hallway, a bright, brilliant white. It had a simple shape, the shape of a crescent moon or a boomerang.

"Why are you letting me see this? Your superiors can't like this, no matter what you say."

Steelbeak was silent as he walked up to the side of the ship. He turned and smiled at Bulba. "You don't trust me. I understand that. But I want you to see that I trust you. And maybe, one day, you _will_ trust me." Steelbeak grinned and pushed a button on the side of the ship, and a small elevator like platform descended. "Are you ready?"

Bulba smiled. "I'm ready." He was starting to hate Steelbeak a little less.

* * *

><p>Girg finally found the group, and it was clear to him who had joined with their hated foe, Lord Comet. The rodent in the yellow suit and the green creature were fighting both Comet and the other two creatures that Comet had apparently recruited. One of them was a small, grey creature with a black nose and huge ears. The grey one had a ray device of some sort and was firing it widely. The other creature was tall and red, with a blue vest and huge long feet that it used to bounce around and punch things.<p>

Girg slinked through the trees where the battle was now being fought. They had reached a wooded area outside the concert area that Girg assumed was a city. In truth he liked the trees better…at least he could sneak through those better. He thought that they were like the ones at his own home planet.

To Girg's shock one of the trees he was huddled underneath suddenly moved, and reached for Comet. The alien overlord's eyes widened as the branch reached for him. He snarled and grabbed the branch. Straining he flung the tree over his shoulder and tossed it to the side. The green alien winched, and gestured, and a few bushes jumped up and started to careen towards Comet. Comet punched each one, not showing a single sign of effort. The bushes collapsed into small piles of leaves and branches.

The yellow one, meanwhile, was fighting both the long footed one and the small grey one. Bolts of electrical energy zapped from his hands as he fought the two back. However, it was clear he was having trouble, as the two others kept flanking him and attacking him from both sides.

Girg wanted to leap to the aid of the yellow one, but he had to follow orders. He slunk back a bit and lifted a bit of his exoskeleton, a small square bit that had been cut out of his arm. Slime lined the edge of the square area, and beneath the hole, against the flesh of his arm, was a small round metal device which Girg tapped. The device rose up and began to admit a green light, which none of the combatants noticed.

Girg talked into one end of the device. "Commander. Comet found. Fighting. See?"

Girg held the device up and waited for his Commander to respond.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack had to admit that the thing Wacko used on him did make his head feel better. It even got rid of his sinuses for that year, which Quackerjack also appreciated. However, he still was wary of the aliens. As soon as the Commander had come back to the infirmary, from doing whatever it was he was doing, Quackerjack started asking questions.<p>

"You mentioned a villain, right?" Quackerjack had been released by Wacko, who was currently five feet away from Quackerjack with his back against a wall. Quackerjack was greatly amused by the fact that Wacko seemed more afraid of him then Quackerjack was of the alien. Quackerjack didn't want to let the aliens off the hook though. He folded his arms and glared at the alien leader.

"Oh, so now you want to listen to me?" The Commander grinned wryly.

"You did say my world is being invaded, and I can't let that happen. Now, I don't trust you, but I'm willing to play along for now." Quackerjack grinned and lifted Mr. Banana Brain. "Two heads are better the one…usually."

The Commander blinked, but said nothing. "Lord Comet." He began, "is a native of the planet Mertz, a planet of super powered beings, most of which have more natural abilities then any single race. It's common for them to have abilities like flight, great strength, heat vision, speed, breath in space, defy the very laws of physics, all in one being."

"Aww, that shouldn't be too hard to fight." Quackerjack grinned. "I fight those kind of things all the time and all I have is wackiness!"

Wacko stared at him. "You're insane."

"Oh really? What was your first clue?" Mr. Banana Brain said through Quackerjack.

The Commander paused and continued. "Most of the Mertzians are too busy fighting each other to care about the rest of the galaxy. They are a warlike, power hungry race, and their constant fighting has almost torn their very planet apart. However, despite the deplorable conditions of their home world, only one of them has ever left the planet, and that is because he is technically the weakest, and the most inept. However, even a weak and inept Mertzian can cause great damage, and many of the less savory races of the galaxy will flock to one, just because they are so powerful."

"Like the Larsonian cows." Wacko said. "Nasty race, those cows…"

The Commander nodded. "We have been fighting him for years. He styles himself as Lord Comet, and through sheer force of strength he has managed to cause great damage. Recently the general of our forces came up with a plan to separate Comet from his forces, and take him out while he his alone. We managed to complete most of the plan, and we have separated and isolated Comet. He's fled here, and we intend to take him down. With him gone his army will scatter. Now all we need is Comet."

Quackerjack was about to say something, when Nieslp rushed in, blue fur standing on end.

*Sir! Girg has found Comet! He is fighting some natives in a forest!*

"Let me guess. Is there a guy shooting electricity and plants walking? Maybe a living water source?" Quackerjack asked.

*Actually, there is an alien shooting electricity and an alien controlling plants. I didn't see any water though.*

Quackerjack jumped up, or tried to. He stumbled a bit and had to grab the metal slab to steady himself. He glared at the Commander. "I suppose the fact that my legs feel like jelly is your fault, huh vampy?"

"You shouldn't have bitten Wacko."

"Oh come on! It's not like they're sharp or anything! I'm just a little bucktoothed!" Quackerjack said with a roll of his eyes.

"Still, I will not tolerate barbarism on this ship." The Commander said.

"And I won't tolerate a probe! And I also won't stand for my friends fighting a alien overlord without me!" Quackerjack tried to move, but his legs just wouldn't cooperate. He growled.

"You must stay here." The Commander said.

"The hell I will!" Somehow Quackerjack lunged from the table to the Commander and latched himself on the alien's arm. "I'm not staying here! Your blue wolf guy just said he didn't see any water!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Wacko asked.

"The fourth member of our team is made of water! He might be in trouble." Quackerjack shouted.

*He can ride on me. I can take care of him." Nieslp volunteered.

The Commander nodded. "Very well. Wacko, tell Guy to meet us at the fighter. Tell him to bring his invention with us. I'll engage Comet, and try to take him down. If I fail, Guy will use his device. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Girg hissed as Megavolt was sent flying, due to a punch by Dingo. Girg was kind of surprised that Comet really wasn't doing anything, save batting away whatever attacks the two heroes launched at him. Comet seemed content to watch the show, but it was driving Girg insane. He couldn't stand staying here just watching two people getting hurt like this!<p>

Girg looked up at the sky and tapped his tail in joy. There they were! The small, arrow shaped fighter was heading for the ground. The fighter skimmed over the heads of the combatants, and Comet looked up and launched a fireball at the craft.

Girg took this as a signal. He hissed and darted towards Comet, raking the alien warlord with his long claws. Comet frowned and grabbed Girg by the tail and tossed him aside with barely a glance. Girg skidded into a tree, but he was just in time to notice the three that jumped out of the small ship as it passed by.

Though he had wings, the Commander didn't come down using them. Instead, somehow powered by the gauntlets, he rocketed towards them, black energy emerging from the gauntlets. his wings were folded against his back as he sped for Comet. Dropping normally was Nieslp, Quackerjack on his back. As soon as they were out the ship flew off to the west.

Comet glared as the Commander flew towards him. Comet launched a fireball at the Commander and attacked with his freeze vision. However, the Commander managed to dodge both attacks. He launched himself into a spiral and slammed into Comet's chest. Comet grunted and grabbed the Commander by the shoulders. He tossed the Commander aside.

"Who are you, you not nice person?" Comet asked.

The Commander landed on his feet and turned to glare at Comet. "You don't remember me?"

"No. Why should I?"

"You destroyed my planet!"

"…ah well. One planet is just like the other. You get used to it."

The Commander's tail snapped to and fro angrily. He flicked his wrists and the black energy enveloped his claws. He screamed and lunged at Comet.

Meanwhile, Nieslp ran towards Dingo and Khola, his tail rose and arched over both his and Quackerjack's heads. Huge barbed spines, almost the length of spears, detached from his tail and flew towards Dingo and Khola. Khola, deciding he had enough of this, ducked behind a bush.

"We will meet again, Friendly Four! Until then, eat alien laser! Hahahahahahahaha!" Khola's voice screeched through the air as he fled.

"Heeey! No fair!" Comet said as he grappled with the Commander, whose black swathed claws hadn't shown any effect on Comet. The big alien was not smart, but he was powerful enough to hold off the Commander.

Dingo, on the other hand, hadn't fled. He lunged for Nieslp, fists deflecting each spine as it flew at him. Nieslp jerked back as Dingo landed a punch at his chest. He and Quackerjack went flying. Girg snarled and lunged at Dingo from the side, but Dingo simply turned and wacked him with his tail. Dingo paused, and then looked behind him where Khola had gone. He shrugged and bounced off to follow Khola, as if nothing had happened.

*That is an unusually powerful creature for one so small.* Nieslp said as he got to his feet, making sure Quackerjack was okay.

"Yeah, that's Dingo. Mean right hook." Quackerjack said as he let Nieslp help him up. He had fallen off the alien when Dingo had delivered said right hook.

"Enough! You will die! Yohooooooo!" Comet shouted as he grabbed the Commander by his horn and flung him to the ground. Comet used his freeze vision, freezing the Commander's feet to the ground. The Commander kept slashing at Comet, his claws scoring against Comet's and creating bloody furrows, but the warlord didn't react to them. Instead Comet begin to brutally punch the Commander. Blood flew from the Commander's nose and mouth as Comet pummeled him.

"No!" Girg roared and raced forwards, followed by Nieslp, who dumped Quackerjack on the ground to charge for his leader. Comet glanced at them as swept his hand towards them, casting fire at them. The two aliens were blown back, scorched by the flames.

The Commander roared and flapped his wings, buffeting Comet over the head and driving him back. Comet roared and grabbed the Commander again, but this time the Commander grabbed Comet's arms and fell, taking Comet with him. The Commander planted a foot against Comet's stomach and kicked him away, towards a large bush. Comet rolled a bit and leaped to his feet, readying his hand to spew more fire.

"Hello, Comet." Said a voice from the bush. Suddenly the bush was tossed away, and there sat Guy. He was sitting on a strange device that looked almost like a golf cart with a gun.

"You're that ordinary guy!" Comet laughed. "What could a week like nerd like yuou possible do to me?"

"Bring you down to our level." Guy said. He pushed a button and his invention blasted Comet, who trembled. Guy smirked and leaned forwards. "You see, Comet, things are a lot more complicated for us normal people. Now you get to see what everone else goes though, instead of lording it over everyone." Guy smiled and punched. Comet reeled backwards, clutching his now bleeding nose.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! That hurts!" Comet screeched. "What did you do…you…you…weakling!" He suddenly bumped into something large and hairy. He looked up to the smiling, and bleeding, face of the Commander. The Commander grabbed him by the shoulders.

"It took your powers away." Guy said.

"No! NO! How can I ever go back to Mertz without my powers! I won't be a Conqueror anymore!" To everyone's shock he started to cry.

"You're not going back to Mertz. It's straight into the galactic jail cell for you!" The Commander grabbed turned Comet around and spoke calmly. "My name is Artlazz of the planet Hunnther. You killed my father and my mother and my brothers and my entire race! Prepare to rot in prison! Guy, would you and Girg to the honors?" The Commander shoved Comet towards them. Girg and Guy led Comet away.

To everyone's surprise the Commander's head dropped and he walked to the hill that Comet had been standing on. He sank to the forest floor with a sigh.

Megavolt and Bushroot, who had been watching all of this with wide eyes, looked at each in confusion. Quackerkack tried to stand on his own, and to his joy he found he could. He walked cautiously over to the alien and Megavolt followed him, meeting him halfway.

"You okay?" Megavolt asked.

"He's not." Quackerjack said. He made it to the Commander. He said nothing more, but put a hand on the Commander's shoulder.

"I…really thought I'd feel triumphant. I really thought that I'd feel some sort of satisfaction. But I don't. He doesn't even reme3mer all the people he's hurt. And it's changed nothing." The Commander sighed. Megavolt and Quackerjack stared at him, shock and astonishment on their faces.

"But…but he was evil, and you beat him! He won't hurt anyone again!" Megavolt said.

The Commander shook his head. "I don't know why, but I still feel so empty." The commander looked up at the sky. "You can't even see my star from here. It might as well not exist."

Nieslp trotted over and walked around to face the Commander. He knelt on his forelegs and sank down. He placed his hands on the Commander's shoulder and, at least to the Earthlings, appeared to just stare into the Commander's eyes. The Commander chuckled.

"Where do you get this stuff, Nieslp?" The Commander got to his feet. "You're right. Let's go."

"Wait…what?" Quackerjack glared at Nieslp. "Are you a mind reader or something?"

*I can transmit my thoughts. How do you think I speak with no mouth? I can send private thoughts as well. What I had to share with my Commander had nothing to do with you.* Nieslp said stuffily.

"Nieslp, don't be rude." The Commander turned to Quackerjack. "Thank you for you aid. We will be taking Comet where he can't hurt anyone anymore. You don't have to worry about facing him again."

Quackerjack stared at the alien. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I shall be fine." The Commander said.

"If there's anything we-"Megavolt said.

"There is nothing you can do, but…" The Commander looked at Megavolt. "I saw, for a brief moment, the enemy you face inside your friend's mind. I can tell you this, Earthlings. Even if you defeat the most evil thing on your planet, it shall not bring you happiness. Still, if you ever need us, my crew will help you." He turned back to Quackerjack with a strange look on his snout. "I think one day you will need us."

The Commander and Nieslp turned to leave, when a boomerang shaped craft bounced into the view, almost crashing into them. In fact, the Commander and Nieslp had to duck. To everyone's shock Bulba and Steelbeak burst out of the craft, guns in hand and aimed at the two aliens.

"Freeze, alien scum!" Steelbeak said, then he laughed a bit. "Haahaha! I always wanted to say that!"

"Guys, wrong aliens. These aren't the ones responsible for the crop circles." Quackerjack laughed.

"Are you sure? They didn't switch your brains or anything!" Steelbeak demanded.

"…what kind of aliens have you guys been in contact _with_?" The Commander shook his head.

Quackerjack laughed like a loon.

* * *

><p>They finally found the Liquidator stashed in a ditch amongst a plentiful amount of leaves and mud. He was not happy. At all. However, they somehow managed to melt him down with the flamethrower that looked like a squirt bottle that Quackerjack had, for some reason, brought with him.<p>

"I missed the entire fight!" The Liquidator moaned.

"Hey, you all missed the alien spaceship! I got to fly through space!" Quackerjack gloated.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up Chuckles." Megavolt rolled his eyes.

"Hey, would ya look at that!" Steelbeak turned and pointed up at the dart of something shiny and metallic that raced through the night sky. "Guess the aliens are going home!"

"Yeah…" Megavolt looked up, a mournful expression on his face.

"Hey! Wait! How'd you get a spaceship, Steelbeak?" Quackerjack looked at the rooster, who preened.

"Area 51, babe." He said.

"Oooh! You know where that is! Take me!"

"Eh…no. Knowing you you'd kick off the Death Ray!" Steelbeak said.

"OOOH! You have a death ray!"

"…doesn't' everyone have a death ray?" Bulba asked.

As Steelbeak and Quackerjack argued about death rays, Bushroot approached Megavolt, who was still looking up at the night sky.

"he's right, you know." Bushroot said. "About Negaduck."

"The alien didn't mention Negaduck." Megavolt said.

"We both know that's what he was talking about. And he's right. Beating him will be the best thing we can do, but that won't make any of us happy."

Megavolt glared at Bushroot. "I don't care about being happy."

"That's half your problem. Megavolt, I don't help people because I have to. I help because it makes me feel happy. The same reason that Quackerjack still makes toys, because it makes him happy. If you don't have some sort of happiness in your life, then you'll be miserable. I don't like the thought of who you'd be if you weren't happy."

"…I'm fine, Bushy." Megavolt gave him a big grin, but it never met his eyes.

* * *

><p>Miles away, near a decrepit looking old mansion; a pair of ducks were walking up to the door, a male and female. The woman looked up as the alien ship darted across the sky.<p>

"Oh, look darling! A shooting star" She smiled and hugged him close. So busy looking at the sky that she didn't see the cunning look on his face. "Make a wish?"

Negaduck grinned and held her close. "I already have all I wish for_." Except this city._ He smiled at her. "Want to…" He wiggled his eyebrows.

She smiled again and opened the door. The two vanished into the threshold, into the darkness.

* * *

><p>AN: Nieslp is basically what happens when I take an Andalite from Animorphs and kinda modify it a bit. No offense is meant to K.A. Applegate (who is awesome and all of you need to go buy Animorphs books, and right now I may add), and I don't own the rights to the series. Still, Andalites and Yeerks are so damn awesome that I couldn't help but draw influence.

And yes, Steelbeak has a white version of Darkwing's gas gun. I just thought that someone needed to have that, so I gave it to Steelbeak.

The Commander's black gauntlets and their power partly came from Green Lantern's power from the comics and movie (which I did see and like, but I am very easy to please.) I know perfectly well that there are black lantern rings, I just never read the comics so I am not sure how they work. Still, although I admit that his power is similar to the Green Lantern, I hope that I made the Commander different enough to not be a total rip-off. Do tell me if he comes across as one.

_Next time: Morgana Macawber had everything. A career as a magical professor, an eager apprentice, and now a loving boyfriend. But when the Four come knocking at her door, looking for Negaduck, how far will she go for the man she loves? And does he really love her? How far will she follow Negaduck into villainy? Will she take the step and use dark magic, for evil?_


	8. The Witch and the Sandman Part 1

An Author's Note: I did take a few liberties in the magical aspect of the Negaverse. I pretty much saw the version we see in the show as a bit like the one in Harry Potter, before there was Harry Potter, what with the magical people living apart from "normals". Morgana was clearly evil at the start, but later in the banned episode Hot Spells there is no indication that all of the magic users are evil. Indeed though they did tease Gosalyn they didn't seem evil, just kinda dark. So, yeah, I am taking a few liberties with this.

And yes, this does expand on the relationship between Negaduck and Morgana. While I am going to be very, very clear what Negaduck is...Um…getting out of it, I hope it will all be under the rating guide. Besides, I am NOT writing a scene like…that with Negaduck. No way.

Chapter 8

The Witch and the Sandman

Part 1

"Steelbeak, you do realize you can't make us do this?" Megavolt folded his arms and glared at the rooster, who grinned smugly at them. None of them had been particularly thrilled when he had shown up at the greenhouse, and when Steelbeak had announced his intentions to them they had liked it even less. The folder of photographs he had brought showed Negaduck courting a tall, very pretty duck woman. None of the four recognized the young woman.

"Ya, but can you ignore it?" Steelbeak asked with a grin. He seemed to be under the impression that he could tell the four what to do. Megavolt didn't like that attitude at all.

"I can." Bushroot shook his head. "Magic? Come on."

"Magic and spells are a hard line to sell, Steelbeak." The Liquidator said. "Especially to such scientifically minded people such as us!"

"…I believe in magic." Quackerjack said. The other three turned to look at him. It was clear that none of them were really surprised at this statement. They looked more exasperated than anything else.

"Okay, aside from Giggles over there." Megavolt nodded at Quackerjack who folded his arms and glared at Megavolt. "None of us are buying this."

"So you're not interested that Negaduck is dating a sorceress?"

"I really have no interest in Negaduck's love life." Megavolt said with a sneer.

"I don't even want to think about Negaduck and love." Bushroot said. "I mean, that's just nasty." He shuddered.

"Still, we can't let him have a magical ally." Quackerjack said thoughtfully. He received more stares for this announcement.

"Look, if Negaduck wants to waste his time looking for things that don't exist-"Megavolt said, but Quackerjack interrupted.

"Do you know how many magical items I have in my lair?" He asked.

"Quacky, I don't think card tricks-"

"Three. I have three, for your information. A very scary puzzle box I am not letting any of you touch. A cursed baby rattler, that I'm not going to let any of you touch. And a music box that I'm not letting any of you get within five feet of." Quackerjack said flatly.

"…remind me to raid your place later." Steelbeak said.

"No, there is a reason I don't let people touch those things." Quackerjack said. For a moment Megavolt almost felt a small chill go down his spine. Maybe it was the way Quackerjack said those words. They didn't sound like words Quackerjack would normally say.

"Stop for a moment and think." Steelbeak said. "Even if you don't believe in magic you have to agree that Negaduck never does anything unless he has something to gain from it."

"He could just be after…you know." The Liquidator said. "I'm sure even criminals get…lonely."

"…this is Negaduck we are talking about." Megavolt said. "If it were any other villain I would agree with you, Likky, but Negaduck doesn't really do personal relationships unless they benefit him."

"How do you know that?" Bushroot asked.

Megavolt winched. "I…I knew him in high school, back when he was Drake Mallard. He had a girlfriend once…it…it wasn't pretty, what he did to her."

Quackerjack's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

"You really don't want to know." Megavolt said gently. Quackerjack dropped it.

"You almost sound like you agree with me, Megs?" Steelbeak grinned.

"Yes and no." Megavolt folded his arms. "I will give you that Negaduck is up to something. I don't believe that this woman is magic. And, Steelbeak, I do not the implication that we are under your orders. We are not." Quackerjack nodded.

Steelbeak sighed. "Look, I know that. I'm not your boss, but I'm not your enemy either. I want to work with you. That's why I brought this. I thought you'd like to know what my agents learned."

"Who found this out?" Bushroot asked. "And how did you learn of it?"

"Hey, you don't work for me. That means you don't get to know where I get my info." Steelbeak smiled. "Now if you want to join up…"

"No way!" The four chorused.

"Aww, you guys really know how to hurt my feelings." Steelbeak said.

"Don't complain, we're going to check it out." Megavolt headed for the door, a look of irritation on his face. The others followed.

"This is such a waste of time." The Liquidator grumbled.

"Agreed." Bushroot rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>Macawber Manor was a dark, sinister looking manor. However, despite this ominous outwards appearance the place was known as a bastion of good magic. The Macawber's were a well known family, and had a reputation for making good, trustworthy sorceresses and sorcerers. Indeed, Morgana's father was a great advocate of MagicalNormal relationships, and was generally kind to both groups. While Morgana had migrated to St. Canard, the rest of her family stayed in Transylvania, as they were more comfortable at home. Despite the fact that the family was filled with monsters, none of them could be called evil. Indeed, the Normal villagers considered the Macawbers their own personal band of friendly monsters, and would hear nothing bad about the family. Morgana, the latest owner of the house, which had been used to get close to foreign Normals, continued the Macawber tradition of helping and training magic users. Morgana had been working for the magical academy for years, and had agreed to take on an apprentice.

"But if you're going to have…him over." Gary O'Kult, Morgana's apprentice, sneered at the word 'him'. "Why can't I just go out and explore! I'm dying to see this Normal city!"

"Gary, I've told you before. You're…a little scary."

"Is it the fangs?"

"The fangs are part of it."

Gary's ears drooped. Morgana smiled gently at him. "You know that until you master that illusion spell you can't go walking around out there. If you aren't careful they might take you to the pound."

"…what is this pound again?" Gary asked. He scratched behind his ear.

"It's where Normals put dogs."

"But I'm a werewolf!"

"Gary, that's worse." Morgana said patiently.

Gary was a small, young werewolf, but still a werewolf. He stood about half of Morgana's height, and that was rearing on his back legs. Like most werewolves he had a furry, brown body with a long ruff and tufted tail. He had a beak, but this beak had two long fangs jutting from his overbite.

"But…mistress. I…" Gary shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" She frowned at her apprentice.

"I really don't like him." Gary hung his head and sighed. "Something about him doesn't smell right!"

Morgana put a hand on his shoulder. "I know he's a bit mean to you, but he just doesn't like kids."

"Then why can I smell a kid on him?" Gary said bitterly.

"Because he's trying to be a better man." Morgana said. Gary blinked. He didn't believe that for a second. His pointed ears pricked when he heard the doorbell ring. Eek and Squeak, Morgana's two bat familiars, flew in and chattered at her. They were followed by one of Gary's own familiars, a large African White Backed vulture named Ed. The huge bird bounced on the ground with its odd, hobbling walk. Ed flapped a bit, narrowly missing a vase with his huge wings, and jumped onto Gary's shoulders, one leg on each shoulder. Ed glared at the door. Gary bent under his familiar's weight.

Morgana never noticed any of this. At the sound of the doorbell she glided over to welcome her boyfriend. Gary and Ed glared at the door. Eek and Squeak flapped off of her and scolded, but Morgana paid no attention to either of them. Instead she opened the door with a smile. There stood Negaduck, doing his best to look handsome and debonair. Gary had no idea why his intelligent teacher was so enamored with him! To Gary that grin on Negdauck's face and the glint in Negaduck's eyes spoke of pure evil, but to Morgana…

"My sweet Morgana!" Negaduck oozed. "I think the sun has come early, for now the brightest light that ever shown is now before me in all of its luminous glory!" Morgana looked charmed.

"Oh blah." Gary leaned to the side and made a noise similar to one makes when one is throwing up.

"Hiss, blah." Ed seconded the emotion and the gesture at almost the same time his master did.

Negaduck gave the two a killing glare. Somehow Morgana managed to miss the malice on his face. It was only there a brief time before Negaduck's seductive expression oozed back and he had snaked his arm around Morgana's waist. Gary and Ed glared right back at Negaduck. Gary's beak curled a bit over his shape fangs and he growled.

"Go away, fleabag. And take the feather duster with you. Adults only." Negaduck said.

"I don't answer to you, Normal." Gary spat the word Normal.

Morgana gave her apprentice a disappointed look. "Gary…why don't you go study the principal of dream manipulation? You still need to work on that."

"I'll manipulate that rat's dreams…" Gary muttered, but the turned to leave anyway, his familiar dropping to the ground and walking after him with one last killer look at Negaduck. Gary walked up the stairs on all fours, and was soon gone to his private room.

"Now…where were we?" Negaduck said. He held Morgana closer, and Eek and Squeak promptly fled. They knew what was coming.

* * *

><p>Gary muttered to himself as he entered his room. He waited till Ed had bounced in to shut the door with a grunt of irritation. Ever since he had met Negaduck Gary had hated him. Gary didn't know where the two had met, but one day she had come home practically dancing she had been so happy, and Gary had been happy for her. Then he met Negaduck. Oh at first the man had been charming and nice, and had treated Morgana like a goddess and Gary almost like a brother. But something always was off about Negaduck. He had tendency to ask the worst kind of questions, most of them about dark magic. As Morgana and Negaduck had grown closer Gary had seen a change in her. She was getting meaner, and more inclined to punishing him by hurting him, something she had never done before. Gary had begun to hate Negaduck more, but his influence over Morgana was getting stronger. Gary was afraid that he would push her to do something terrible, but he didn't know what he could do. Morgana didn't listen to him at all.<p>

He grumbled and walked forwards, to his grimoire, which was sitting on a book stand waiting for him. Scuttle, his scorpion, was resting on the open book, while his third familiar, a king snake named Coral, slithered around the edges. Gary waved Scuttle away and began to read.

"Now, let's see, I read this part about Morpheus, King of Dreams…ah! Here I was!" Gary started to read aloud. "Good dreams and bad dreams are ruled by two different Dream Lords, both in conflict with each other. One of these is the being known as the Sandman, who has been known to cause bad dreams, particularly dreams that tap into a person's deepest fears. Invoking his power can cause the victim to go into an endless sleep of horror, which can even cause death through sheer terror. Victims can either be cursed by an incantation, or tossed though the Door of Nightmare." Gary gazed at the picture of the Sandman, a birdlike creature with no eyes, just a pair of black staring sockets. Its legs and arms were thin and wispy, and it didn't stand like a person or an animal, but something in the between. It looked terrible, and Gary gulped at the sight.

"He looks nice, doesn't he Scuttle?" Scuttle looked, and then backed away, tail ready to strike. Gary put a hand on the scorpion's body and stroked him. "There there. It's okay. No decent sorcerer would summon this thing!"

Scuttle begin to settle down at Gary's touch. Gary's ears twitched as he heard a loud thumping noise.

"Great." He rolled his eyes. "I don't need the Sandman to give me nightmares with that going on downstairs!"

* * *

><p>"You know, with that loud yellow jumpsuit you are wearing are you sure no one can see you, Megs?"<p>

"Bite me, Quackerjack. You're so bright that alien Commander can probably still see you in the Andromeda Galaxy!" Megavolt said.

"Can we get to the window without the pair of you killing each other or bickering? Just to the window?" Bushroot asked.

"As long as Negaduck doesn't see Banana Mouse here." Quackerjack said.

"You know your outfit is like an assault on the senses? It's like you're trying to offend people!" Megavolt said. "Those are colors that say 'I hate you, and I want you to know it!'"

"Your fashion sense is worse than mine!" Mr. Banana Brain said.

"Children, please. Later I can sign you up for the Windbag show and then we can discuss your fashion sense." Bushroot said calmly.

"Fine Doc." Quackerjack grinned and started to sneak towards a window.

"Since when do you call me doc?" Bushroot asked.

"Degree. You do realize that you are the highest educated among us! I don't have a degree."

"Meh, he is right. I don't even have my high school diploma…I kind of regret that. I almost wish I had stayed for it…" Megavolt looked sad for a bit.

"I have a Bachelor in business." The Liquidator shrugged. "Doesn't do me much good now."

When they came to the window they all peeked over. There were odd sounds coming from the window spurning their curiosity. It was…almost a thumping…

With four strangled noises they ducked as one.

"Oh god!" Megavolt whispered, appalled. "What was he doing? I'll never be able to unsee that!"

"I didn't know the body could bend that way!" Bushroot said.

"You'd think that'd hurt his back or something!" The Liquidator agreed.

Quackerjack peeked again, his beak open in awe. "Ooooh…isn't the word 'ki-"

"The word is gross." Megavolt pulled him back down by a bell. "And stop looking! You'll go blind!"

"I wish I was blind." Bushroot said with a groan. "I didn't think that was anatomically possible!"

"Well…at least they weren't…ah…" The Liquidator blushed. "I mean, it could have been so much worse."

"How?" Megavolt asked.

"Ah…" The Liquidator looked uncomfortable.

"You boys do know there's a video store for this kind of thing?" A sinister voice asked from the window. They all looked up to see a very annoyed looked Negaduck. "COME HERE!" The crime lord grabbed them all by the neck and pulled them into the manor through the window.

* * *

><p>"Do you know what I hate more than people who try to ruin my plans? Its people who spy on my when I am busy with my girl!" Negaduck snarled as he finished tying up Megavolt, who was glaring at both Negaduck and Morgana. Morgana had her arms folded and was glowering at the Four. She had intended to use her powers to freeze the Liquidator, but had ended up turning him into chocolate pudding. The Liquidator was not happy. Negaduck had, for reasons that the Four hadn't waned to contemplate, had shown up to his lover's house with three feet of rope. He had used this rope to tie the other three down.<p>

Now Bushroot, Quackerjack and Megavolt were bound together, back to back, while the Liquidator jiggled on the floor in a dark brown puddle.

"I don't know what you two are planning, but you're not going too succeeded!" Megavolt snarled.

"Planning! We were planning a romantic evening until you four showed up!" Morgana shouted, her hair starting to stand up a bit.

"If by romantic you mean sleazy…"Bushroot grumbled. Morgana shrieked at him and pointed a finger. He barely managed to duck as the blast hit a vase, which immediately burst into flames. Bushroot was horrified. Sure, he remembered Scrooge once told him that he had met a witch, but Bushroot hadn't really believed him. It seemed that he might have been wrong.

Quackerjack stared at Morgana. "You aren't supposed to do that." He said gently.

"How would you know, Normal?" Morgana asked.

"Just because I am Normal doesn't mean I haven't ever seen magic before." Quackerjack said. "And you're not supposed to do things like that."

"You don't tell me what to do!" Morgana's hair was now positively defying gravity.

"Is it that time of the month again?" Quackerjack asked.

"Quaky." Megavolt hissed at his friend as he stared at the fuming witch. "I really think you need to shut up now." He said.

"Morgana…darling." Negaduck slide closer to her. "Perhaps there is something you can do to get rid of these pests? Permanently?"

Morgana stopped for second. "Well…I…"

"What? You can't!" Gary rushed from the stairs where he had been listening in, drawn by the noise that hadn't sounded like Morgana's and Negaduck's usual...Er…escapades. He darted in between Morgana and the Four, his fur standing on in. "You can't use magic against innocent people!"

"Those are not innocents. They are rivals." Negaduck glowered. "That plant creature has already kille-"

"You're the killer, Negaduck! Not me! Miss, this man is a gangster and a thug! He killed my best friends!" Bushroot hollered.

"His first act as a villain was to burn a school prom to the ground!" Megavolt shouted.

"He killed my father. He shot my brother." Quackerjack added.

"He murdered my wife." The Liquidator bubbled angrily.

"Lies." Negaduck said airily.

"I believe them! You're scum! I can smell it on you!" Gary bellowed. "Mistress, you can't listen to this rogue! He's a monster! A lying, conniving, mo-"

"Enough!" Morgana pointed and blasted Gary into the air. He flew and crashed against a wall. She was looked into Negaduck's eyes. "You have no idea what he is really like. None of you do." Negaduck smiled at her warmly.

"If you think that then you are a fool." Megavolt said harshly.

"What did you just call me?" Morgana glared. She looked ready to blast him with her magic, when Gary got to his feet. He jumped and stood in front of the four again.

"Look at what he's doing to you! Look at what you've become! Is he really worth this?" Gary asked.

"Gary…" Morgana shook her head and looked into Negaduck's eyes one more time. "Go _away_!" She gestured, lifting him into the air. She tossed him through a door, which apparently was a portal to somewhere dark and hole like, because his scream echoed downwards.

"Did you just kill your own apprentice?" Negaduck asked, trying to hide his hope.

"Oh, no, that was just the portal to the Screaming Mountains. He'll be able to climb up eventually." She shrugged. She then turned her glare on the Four. "And yes, I think there might be a way to get rid of them…"

_It's not _real_ dark magic. Not really. I'm sticking them where _he_ can find them. That's not dark magic…_

At least that is what she told herself as she waved a hand, lifting the four into the air. They shouted and struggled, but if Negaduck could do one thing well it was tie a victim up, and the Liquidator couldn't do that much as pudding. Negaduck followed with a smirk on his face, a smirk that Morgana failed to see.

The Four soon found themselves totally lost in this place, with its halls that seemed to lead nowhere, the unexpected twists and turns, and the general creepiness of the place. Soon, however, they came to a room with doors that looked like they lead nowhere. They were just standing there; in fact you could have walked around one easily.

Morgana dragged them to a door near the end of the room. A sinister looking black door with a strange symbol one it. It looked almost like a staring eye with two triangles, one triangle pointed down and one triangle pointed up. There was a single dot at the point of the top triangle. Megavolt couldn't help but shudder at the sight of the door. It frightened him for some reason, sent a chill down his spine.

"Negy?" Morgana said. "Would you please open the door?"

Negaduck wiped the evil look off and bowed with a dashing smile, complete with sweeping his hat off his head. The Four looked at him with mingled incredulous expressions. He looked at them and winked, turning his head so Morgana couldn't see it. He walked over to the door and opened it.

Morgana pushed the three bound heroes into the doorway, and then shoved the plate of Liquidator as well. Negaduck slammed and door and tired to look concerned.

"What exactly is that place?" He asked.

"It's the world of the Sandman." Morgana took a deep breath. "He'll take care of them." As she turned around to walk away, Negaduck smiled a wicked smile.

"You're learning so fast." He muttered as he struggled not to laugh evilly. Somehow he managed to do it. He followed her, determined to make sure she…forgot about this.

* * *

><p>Megavolt looked around him. "Okay, so we are floating in a black starless void."<p>

"Sure looks like it." Bushroot said.

"With rocks all around us." Megavolt continued.

"A bit like platforms." Quackerjack commented.

"And I think this is a disembodied eye staring at me." Megavolt said as he glared at the eye. He didn't like it.

"At least the Liquidator is back to his normal self!" The Liquidator grinned as he reformed from the pudding.

"Well, great, why don't you untie us?" Megavolt asked. He was getting a little sick of looking at that eyeball. The Liquidator kind of swam through the void and untied his friends. Once they were finally free they peered around at the environment. All they could see was a vast dark void with the occasional platform like rock floating about. Unfortunately the darkness was so absolute that they couldn't see that far ahead of them.

"Well, now what?" Bushroot asked.

"Let's see if we can find that door and get out." Megavolt said. The others nodded. Unfortunately they had no idea where to go, as their line of sight ended a few feet away from their faces. It was very, very creepy. Megavolt looked around and pointed and the nearest platform. "Bushy, can you vine us over there?"

Bushroot nodded and extended a vine to wrap around the tip of the platform. The rest of them grabbed onto him and he dragged them towards the platform. Once they had gotten something reasonable solid under their feet they started to walk forwards, hoping they were going the right way.

"Wait!" Quackerjack looked around. "Did any of you see that?"

"See what?" Megavolt asked.

"See the thing that just rushed by us! It looked a bit like a bird!" Quackerjack said.

"I didn't see anything." The Liquidator said.

"I'm telling you I saw something!" Quackerjack said.

"Look…" Megavolt was about to dismiss Quackerjack, but then he remembered where he was and how he got here. "We need to be careful. Keep watch." He started to move forwards. Quackerjack followed, looking around him with slightly scared expression.

Megavolt continued to lead the four on, and after a bit he to began to feel that he could see something, just out of the corner of his eye. He would turn his head, but it would be gone into he darkness.

"Okay, there's the next platform. Give us a lift Bushy…Bushy?" Megavolt turned and counted heads. There were only two. "Bushroot?"

The Liquidator and Quackerjack looked around. "He was just behind me." The Liquidator said. "Hold on, I'll go back."

"Wait! It could be a slasher killer out to get you!" Quackerjack said. "Happens all the time in horror movies!"

"Most horror movie victims aren't made of water! I'm more concerned with you flesh and blood people!" The Liquidator said. "I'll be right back!" He slid back to where they had been, which was now obscured by the darkness. In a few moments he had vanished. Quackerjack eased closer to Megavolt.

"Megavolt...are you scared?" He asked.

"Me…naw." Megavolt tried not to listen to his knees knocking.

"I'm not scared either." Quackerjack grinned.

"Of course not pal." Megavolt smiled at him.

"…oh…" Quackerjack eyes suddenly widened, and a strange, blank look crossed his face. "Can you hear that?"

Megavolt listened. "I don't hear anything." He said.

"You really can't hear that? It's beautiful! It's like music!" Quackerjack said, and he seemed almost hypnotized by the sound only he could hear. "I…aahhhh!" All of a sudden he clapped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees. "It hurts!"

Megavolt ran over, wanting to help, but not sure how he could. He knelt down and grabbed Quackerjack by the shoulders. "Quacky!" He shook his friend, who was now starting to scream.

Megavolt saw something dart behind him out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw something tall and thin looming there. He growled and lunged forwards, electricity crackling to strike out at the tall thing. The thing vanished, and Megavolt heard Quackerjack groan. Megavolt turned just in time to see the tall thing dart away again; it had somehow circled around and done something to Quackerjack. Megavolt tried to attack the thing, but it fled. He rushed over and picked up Quackerjack.

"Quacky! Speak to me!" Megavolt stared in horror as his friend's head tilted forwards. Megavolt had half expected to see that his friend's eyes had been gouged out or something. Instead, Quackerjack's eyes were shut, like he was asleep. His eyes were crusted with dark, black sand. Quackerjack twitched and moaned, as if he was in the grip of a terrible nightmare.

"Wake up! Quackerjack!" Megavolt shook his friend, but he didn't stir. "Come on!" He gave Quackerjack a mild jolt, just enough so that he would wake up, but he didn't. All of a sudden he felt someone behind him. He could guess who, or what it was. He whirled with another blast of electricity, but nothing happened. There was nothing there.

He turned back to Quackerjack to come face to face with…something. All he saw was a pair of huge, glassy eyes and a long, pointed beak. Then, the thing had raised its hand and black sand filled Megavolt's vision. He backed away, rubbing his eyes. He tried to look again, but all he could see was a blur. He fell, and closed his eyes.

All of a sudden he just felt so tired….

* * *

><p>Bushroot groaned and opened his eyes. He looked around. He was in his old room at the university. It looked just the same as it usually did. There was even the little lab rats spinning around in their cages. He got up and looked around. It was time to work. He walked over to his lab table and began to pour things into beakers and whatnot.<p>

"Burn the monster! Kill the mad scientist!"

"Huh?" Bushroot looked up. "What's going on?" He walked over to the window and gasped. There was a mob there! Complete with torches, pitchforks and guns, all of which were being shaken in the air in time with the chanting. He backed away from the window, fear gripping his heart. He knew that he was the monster they were referring to.

He turned and fled out the door, heading for the back exit. He turned a corner and skidded to a stop. Three shadowy figures stood before him. They stepped into his sight, and Bushroot gasped.

"Dr. Gary? Dr. Larson..._Dr. Dendron_?" Of all the people in the world, these three?

"You tried to kill us." Dr. Dendron grinned as she held up a knife. "Now we are going to prune you!" She smiled evilly at Bushroot. The other two doctors didn't say anything; they just chuckled at him with grins that mirrored Dendron's.

"No! I never…I…oh I'm so sorry!" Bushroot's eyes started to fill with tears. "I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly…you didn't do a thing. Monster." Dr. Larson glowered. He raised a pitchfork, and Dr. Gary did the same with his burning torch.

Bushroot backed away, trembling. He tried to call the plants to him.

_Please. Help me._

_ No._

_ What?_

_ Never again. Animal. No brother of ours! Leave our minds. Freak._

_ But…but…_

_ Go away._

"No!" Bushroot turned away from the dead people and fled. But he could still see their forms, shadowy figures that followed him as he ran. They screamed for his blood. And he could do nothing about it but run. The hallway stretched on and on, and then all of a sudden it began to drip fire. Bushroot looked up to see flames engulfing the hallway. He tried to speed up when the hallway suddenly opened. For a moment Bushroot thought he had reached open sky, save when he looked up to see the sky itself was on fire. He screamed and ran again. He could see a…windmill? Was that a windmill?

Yes, it was a windmill, and Bushroot ran right towards it. He didn't have any better ideas. He climbed the stairs, one at a time, till he reached the top. He looked down through a window and gasped. The crowd now circled the windmill, screaming and chanting and doing the entire mob routine.

He looked down at himself and screamed. His mutation…he was worse! Part of duck flesh and feathers were poking out of his leaves. More feathers, stuck to his stem, covered his chest and down to his stomach. One foot was webbed and the other root. He had always been a plant mutant, but now the mutation was going insane! He could see his flesh and stem merge and bubble, constantly shifting and mutating. The only thing that wasn't changing was the blood that was dripping down his hands.

Bushroot covered his hands and cried. He sank to the ground and rocked back and forth. They were right.

He was a monster.

* * *

><p>Bud Flud opened the door to find his office.<p>

He couldn't remember having an office.

But there was a secretary out there, grinning a strange, fixed, almost freakish grin at him. She insisted that his was his office. His company. His bottling business. Sparkling Crystal Pure Flood Water. He could almost remember the name.

He sat in his chair, but he couldn't remember telling his body to do this. He just sat, but he felt as if it had not been him who had sat. It was someone else, controlling his body and telling it what to do. His body sat down and started to look over papers. Papers filled with gibberish that he didn't understand.

"Sir?" The secretary stood in the doorway, that scary joker's grin plastered on her face. "The cattle are ready."

"Let them in." Bud Flud's mouth said. A long line of people, ragged, scared, poor people, started to file in. The first one came up, trembling.

"Sir, I have a family! Three kids and a wife! They'll starve without-"

"You're fired!" Bud Flud's mouth said, as his hand handed the man a pink slip. The man walked away, fading into the wall with a sigh. The next one came up.

"My grandmother is sick and-"

"Fired!" Said Bud Flud's treacherous mouth. He couldn't stop it! He wanted to stop it!

_Stop!_ His mind screamed. _Stop!_

"Why should I stop?" Bud Flud said. He walked over to a mirror and grinned. "I can do anything I want! I'm the boss!" The man in the mirror smirked.

"It's not right!"

"I am the boss. I make the rules." Bud Flood said.

"What about Carla! What about Hank! What would they think?"

"Carla?" Bud Flood laughed. "Who's Carla?"

"Your wife!"

Bud Flood grinned. "I don't have a wife! I never needed some woman to hold me back! Chain me up with a family and all that crap! Not for this dog!" The man in the mirror leaned forwards. "You should really have let me run our life! I would have done so much better! I would have taken over that company in a year! You were held back."

"I was in love."

"She's better off dead! And I am better off without you!" The man in the mirror lifted his fist and punched the mirror, shattering him into a thousand shards. The Liquidator watched as Bud Flud turned around and laughed. He raised his hands to the sky like a mad dictator and let out the most horrible, mad laugh ever heard. He was surrounded by a dozen dancing bottle mascots, each with a pair of long, feminine legs. Bud Flud's laugh echoed as the bottles sang a jingle.

The Liquidator screamed. But no one could hear him over his double's mad, greedy laughter.

* * *

><p>Megavolt practically skipped down the street. It was all over! Negaduck was defeated! And now he could go home! He had never felt so good in his entire life!<p>

His home looked exactly like it always had, like nothing at all had changed since high school. There was his mom's herb garden, his old bike sitting against the fence, the lawn ornaments in the front. It was all here! He paused for a moment to look around, taking it all in. It was so wonderful! He walked slowly up to door and walked in.

"Mom! Dad! I'm back!" Megavolt shouted. The house was unusually dark and cold. He looked around. "Mom? Dad?"

Megavolt walked forwards, looking around the silent house. "Where is everyone?" He muttered. He turned the corner to the living room and gasped.

Sitting on the couch were his parents. The sat beside each other, his father's arm thrown around his mother's shoulders. They might have been watching tv, but for the fact that both their heads were bent back at awkward, unnatural angles. Their eyes were closed and they didn't move. Megavolt rushed forwards, leaning down to shake his father.

"Dad! What's wrong?" Megavolt gasped out as his father shook limply in his arms. His father's head fell forwards, and a little trickle of blood escaped his lips. Megavolt stared, unable to comprehend what this meant. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was no longer in his house. Instead he was standing in a graveyard, in front of two tombstones. He looked down and screamed in horror at the sight of the tombstones.

"Ralph Sputterspark…Gwen Sputterspark…Mom…Dad…" Megavolt knelt at his parent's graves, tears streaming down his cheeks. "No!"

Megavolt scrambled away from the gravestones in horror, only to bump into a trio of new gravestones. He whirled around.

_William Quacker Jr._ "Quackerjack" Said one.

_Dr. Reginald Bushroot_ Said another.

_Bud Flud "The Liquidator"_ Said the last.

Megavolt placed a hand on the middle grave, Bushroot's, and looked down at the soil. A little flower poked from the ground, a small daisy. It seemed to glare at him in accusation. This was his fault! Somehow he knew it was his fault. He had led them to their deaths! His parents were dead because he had chosen to be Megavolt.

Megavolt sat there on the ground, staring at the graves like a zombie. He shook his head.

"You guys wouldn't want me to do this! I'll continue on! I'll still be a hero! I'll never forget any of you and…ahhh!"

All of a sudden the ground began to leak water. Megavolt shouted in fear and stepped back. He knew that if the water touched him he would short out, and he would remember nothing. Then who would be there to remember the sacrifice his friends and family made? He ran for the city as the flood waters came for him, lapping at his heels. He scrambled up a building, for some reason the buildings were bent and twisted, like malformed trees. He leapt from crag to crag, desperate to escape the water.

Finally he made it to the top of the building and he looked around, trying to see any sign of solid ground. What he saw filled him with horror. A few feet away from him was a pile of bones, ducks, dogs, rodents, and others. Sitting on the bone pile, perched on a throne, was Negaduck. He was laughing as masses of people flocked to him, kneeling down and swearing loyalty to the mad dictator. Megavolt roared and tried to attack, thrusting out a hand to zap Negaduck, but he lost his balance. Screaming he plunged headfirst into the black water, and sank like a stone. The cold water rushed over him, filling his mouth ears and nose, but didn't drown him. He fell into the cold, dark depths, unable to save himself.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Billy! It's time for breakfast!"<p>

Quackerjack look up and his eyes widened. "Dad?" He said.

"Who else would it be? Come on; don't keep your mother and brother waiting."

"My…mother?" Quackerjack stared at him.

William Sr. smiled at him. "Of course. Come on." Quackerjack's father disappeared from the doorway.

Quackerjack got up and looked around. It was his room, all right. His old room. Toys and half built toys were scattered everywhere. None of them had any weapons or anything. They were all just normal, nice, healthy toys. Quackerjack picked up an old, stuffed snow leopard and smiled at it. "Oh, here you are Spot." He said absentmindedly. He stared at the stuffed creature. He had lost it when he had been sent to the insane asylum…Quackerjack shook his head. No. Spot was right here. There was no mental institution!

"You're having a psychotic break."

"What?" He looked around, but no one was there. He shook his head.

"Billy! Come on!" His father's voice echoed through the hall.

"Coming." Quackerjack paused, and then put the stuffed animal in his pocket. He wanted to keep it around. It was comforting. He paused at his door, half expecting something off to be there.

But nothing was off. It was the normal hallway that he remembered from his childhood. He took a left, and there was the stairs. He walked down the stairs, and everything was the same. He passed by the picture frames filled with the normal landscapes and still lifes. Nothing was off. Nothing was different.

Except when he went into the dining hall.

There was the same beautiful marble table, a round thing big enough to house all of the family. There was his father and his older brother, looked like they had years ago. His father was still a middle aged man, his brother around fifteen. He looked down at himself and realized he had regressed to twelve. There was nothing different.

"Please stop gawking at the door, dear." An unfamiliar voice said.

Quackerjack turned and looked up, his eyes growing wide. The woman standing before him had his eyes. She was also probably the most beautiful duck that he had ever laid eyes on. Her beak was almost perfectly proportioned. Her face was gentle and kind. She smiled at him, and Quackerjack felt something he had never really felt before. It was something similar to what he felt for his father, no, more like what he felt for his Aunt Cleo, but…different as well. Deeper then what he felt for Aunt Cleo. Sharper, clearer.

"…Mommy?" He asked, his voice barely a squeak. He had seen her before, but only in pictures. They didn't do her justice.

The woman's smile broadened, and she leaned down to hug him. "Of course, Billy. Who else would I be?"

Quackerjack tensed for a moment, and then he collapsed in his mother's arms. He hugged her close and, to his slight embarrassment, he began to cry. "Mommy." He sobbed. She began to rub his back and rock him back and forth.

"What's the matter? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I…I…" He couldn't say it. He didn't care if this was real or not. For a single, brief moment, he felt his heart soaring. He was hugging his mother! His mother! For the first time he was touching the woman he had never met before.

"Mommy, I-"All of a sudden he felt a horrible jolt. It was like Megavolt had just shocked him. He opened his eyes and gasped.

His house was gone. His family was gone. Instead he was in a brightly lit room, like a room in a hospital. He tried to move, but his arms were bound in that hugging position. He looked down and found the reason for this was that he was strapped into a straightjacket and laying on a metal table a bit like the ones the alien's had him on.

He jerked in surprise as someone strapped his feet down on a table. He looked at a man wearing a doctor's coat and mask. The man was green.

"Bushroot?"

"Dr. Bushroot. Settle down." Bushroot said coldly.

"But…but…what is going on?" He asked.

"Don't worry; it will be over very soon." Bushroot said. He looked up and nodded at someone. Quackerjack looked over and his eyes widened.

"Megavolt?" He asked.

The rat, who was dressed in the same way as Bushroot, shook his head. "No. I told you before. I'm not a superhero. Neither are you. I'm a doctor and you're the patient."

"But…but…" Quackerjack looked up at his eyes widened. There was the Liquidator, water and all. His eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, you are a doctor to?"

"Of course. You've been sick for a long time. You need to stop deluding yourself. You need to stop living in these fantasies of yours."

"What fantasies?"

**Don't you remember?**

_What...you're not the Headboss! Or Mr. Banana Brain._ The voice that spoke to him now was much deeper. Sinister. Complete with a reverberation.

**Of course not.**

_Who are you?_

**I am what you have become.**

_What?_

**I killed them. I watched you do it. You've always known me. I was always here. I was there the day your foul egg slid out and destroyed the one that brought you to this world. You're a killer; you've been one since the day you were laid.**

_No! I didn't kill anyone!_

**Silly boy. Dreaming your little dreams. It's because you don't want to see what you've done. What you will do.**

Quackerjack was too distracted to notice the fact that Megavolt had placed electrodes on the side of his head and turned up the power. His body tensed as the electricity flowed through his body. He screeched.

**Wait a while. We shall get them to. All of your…"friends" will die. You will send them to their graves. What fun it will be!**

_No…_

**You don't have a choice. You belong to me…**

Quackerjack screamed.

* * *

><p>"Amy, can ya report? Where are they?" Steelbeak asked from the little red communicator.<p>

"I haven't seen them for a while." Ammonia Pine said. "It's been almost five hours! I think you might need to come over here. I think they might be in trouble."

"…I'll be there in a few minutes."

Ammonia sighed as she put the communicator down and looked across the street at the Macawber mansion. She hadn't been sure about letting those heroes go in there like that, despite what Steelbeak said. Sure, she trusted Steelbeak. Trusted him with her life. Still…

Steelbeak, who never got a few feet away from a trouble spot, soon arrived in his limo. Ammonia exited the garbage truck, which was probably the cleanest truck in the city, to join him as he got out of his car. She was a little shocked to see a police car part a little ways down the road, and a big cop emerge from it.

"Oh, hi Bulba." Steelbeak grinned at the bull. "Nice to see you! We can use you. Amy, this is Detective Bulba. Bulba, this is Ammonia Pine, one of our undercover agents!"

"…did you suddenly forget the definition of 'undercover', Steely?" Ammonia asked.

He slid close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, sweetheart, I'm not gonna hide anything from this guy!" He lowered his voice. "I think he's more useful as a friend then a foe, and we got to be straight with him from square one or we lose him!"

She leaned up against him as Bulba stared at them. "I hope you're right dear." She muttered quietly. She looked up at Bulba and smiled. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Bulba said with a slight bow. He looked at Steelbeak. "What have you done now?"

"Oh come on, babe, why do you always blame me?"

"Because it normally is your fault." Bulba said.

"Awww, come on!" Steelbeak shook his head. "Look, Negaduck is dating the girl that owns that mansion over there, a girl I'm pretty sure is into magic…don't snort at me, bullhead." Steelbeak glared as Bulba snorted at him. "I'm not going through this 'magic no magic' debate. Negaduck is in there, and so was the Four a few hours ago. They haven't been out since!"

Ammonia nodded. "I've been watching the place since sundown. I haven't seen them come back out!"

Bulba nodded. "You stayed out in case they needed help, yes?" Ammonia nodded. "…you aren't as dumb as you look, Steelbeak."

"Thanks pal…hey!" Steelbeak glowered at him.

"Look, boys." Ammonia stepped in between them. "We need to focus. We have hostiles in that mansion, magic or no magic, and friends that need our help! We should be figuring out how to clean out the place, not argue."

"Ah, you are right as usual, Amy." Steelbeak smiled. Bulba rolled his eyes.

"Right, then let's come up with a plan of attack." Ammonia smiled at the pair of them and they walked closer to her, ready to work together.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm almost back to the door." Gary growled to himself as he scrambled up a rock. He was concentrating very very hard on the climb. He was afraid if he started to think about what his mistress was doing then he would break down. He had trusted her! Served her and learned from her! Why would she do this!<p>

"She knows how dangerous these mountains are, Scuttle." Gary muttered to the scorpion on his shoulder. "Even for a werewolf sorcerer….okay sorcerer in training. I can't believe she would do this! I mean, there are yetis on this mountain!" He shivered as the icy wind of the Screaming Mountains cut through his fur and skin and chilled him to the bone. Even his thick coat was useless in these temperatures. He clung to the side of the cliffs, his claws digging into the rough rock. It was dark here, nighttime, which just made it all the more colder. He was also having a bit of trouble breathing at this height. It was terrible, and he hated every minute of it. But he knew that if he stopped he'd end up a werewolf-sicle.

Scuttle cuddled closer to Gary's cheek. He clacked his claws in sympathy. Gary sighed. How did this happen? It was like Morgana was a totally different person! Once you tasted dark magic you couldn't stop! It was like a drug, it would tempt you more and more until you couldn't help but take from its deadly powers! Yes, there were some mages and warlocks that could control it, but they were rare. It was so easy to become like more than a dark magic addict. But in this case…it wasn't really the magic. It was the man who was leading her towards that magic. Gary knew had to get Negaduck away from her! He knew he could save her if he just talked to her one more time! His heart ached at the thought of giving up on her! He wouldn't! He would save her from Negaduck. He was so close to the end, there was just one more cliff!

Gary scrambled up the last cliff and yelp in terror. There, right in front of him, was a huge white, apelike being, with long claws and fangs, claws much longer and sharper then his own werewolf claws. It stood at least twice as high as Morgana, with a huge, barrel shaped chest and long arms. It stood on two stubby, but strong looking legs. The thing howled at him, and the icy wind picked up, nearly throwing him off the cliff. He knew what this was. What it had to be.

"Yeti." Gary muttered. "Nuts…"

* * *

><p>AN: The Sandman that appears in this is based off a freaky 1991 stop motion film called The Sandman. I took a few liberties, but not that many. The appearance is similar, and this Sandman is also evil. I kinda blended it with Freddy Kruger, but I didn't want a total Kruger due to the fact that I didn't think Kruger fits in this universe. He's a bit too dark.

While I was writing this I discovered that there was just too much stuff to shove into one chapter, therefore this is going to be a two parter!

_Next time: The Friendly Four are trapped in a world of nightmares, and it's up to Steelbeak and the others to help them. Will they find and save the Four in time? And will Gary go against his teacher once and for all? Find out in the next chapter._


	9. The Witch and the Sandman Part 2

_Last Time…_

"_Steelbeak, you do realize you can't make us do this?" _

"_Ya, but can you ignore it?" _

Good dreams and bad dreams are ruled by two different Dream Lords, both in conflict with each other…

"_I really don't like him." Gary hung his head and sighed. "Something about him doesn't smell right!"_

"_Do you know what I hate more than people who try to ruin my plans? Its people who spy on my when I am busy with my girl!"_

"_Morgana…darling." Negaduck slide closer to her. "Perhaps there is something you can do to get rid of these pests? Permanently?"_

One of these is the being known as the Sandman…

_Bushroot looked down at himself and screamed. His mutation…he was worse! _

Dreams that tap into a person's deepest fears…

"_I was in love." _

"_She's better off dead! And I am better off without you!"_

_Screaming Megavolt plunged headfirst into the black water, and sank like a stone. The cold water rushed over him, filling his mouth ears and nose, but didn't drown him. He fell into the cold, dark depths, unable to save himself._

_**Silly boy. Dreaming your little dreams. It's because you don't want to see what you've done. What you will do.**_

_No…_

_**You don't have a choice. You belong to me…**_

Invoking his power can cause the victim to go into an endless sleep of horror…

"_Yeti." Gary muttered. "Nuts…"_

And now, the Conclusion

Chapter 9

The Witch and the Sandman

Part 2

"…Billlly..."

Quackerjack looked behind him, panting in fear. He could practically feel the other breathing down his neck, even though the long hallway was devoid of life. Indeed, nothing could be hidden in the shadows, as there were no shadows in this brightly lit hospital hallway, a hallway that seemed to stretch for miles. He tried to struggle out of that damn straightjacket, but he couldn't seem to wiggle out. Oh yes, his friendly doctors/friends were no longer there to hold him down, but now he was trapped in an endless hallway.

"I can smell you, Billy. I can smell your fear. Stop running, Billy. It's pointless."

Quackerjack screamed as long, muscular, hairy arms grabbed him from behind and pulled him against their owner. He struggled, but all he could really do was kick, and his captor wouldn't let him get a good angle.

"Relax. I'll make the voices go away, Billy. I'll make you feel so much better…"

"No, please." Quackerjack hated the hint of whine in his voice. "Let go of me!"

"Now, what kind of person would I be…?" Quackerjack gasped as the razor edged blade of a scythe was pulled out and placed lightly against his throat. "If I didn't put you out of your misery…"

"No!"

"Keep him under control! Sedate him!"

Quackerjack opened his eyes and saw the others, Bushroot, the Liquidator and Megavolt, in the guise of the doctors. He shook his head, trying to make this make sense! But it didn't. He gasped as Bushroot pulled out a syringe filled with liquid and injected him with it. His eyelids grew heavy…

"Come on, do your homework."

Quackerjack opened his eyes again and found himself back in his old room. He looked over at his father, who was standing in the doorway with a gentle grin. Quackerjack looked down at the desk he was sitting at, at the normal, average math homework. He could feel his father leave the doorway.

Quackerjack wanted to put his hands over his face, but he found that he was still wearing the straightjacket.

* * *

><p>The Liquidator sat in his chair, staring at the television. His hands gripped the arms of the chair, and he stared lifelessly at the screen. The only thing that was playing was those commercials promoting his water. Nothing but commercial after commercial.<p>

He got up and walked to the kitchen. It was cold. Empty. The stove stood unmarked and unused. It perhaps had never been used. He stood in the middle of it, looking around, as if waiting for something. For a brief moment a bright light flashed in his eyes. For a moment he could see Carla and Hank. Carla was frying something one the stove with a happy smile. Hank was drinking a soda from the fridge. The image lasted for only a moment, and then it was gone, replaced by the cold, dark kitchen.

The Liquidator moved to the hall. Once there had been pictures there, pictures of the family. There were pictures here now, but pictures of him. Taking awards, sitting behind a huge desk, at a press conference. He was smiling in the photos, but it didn't seem real. It seemed more like a robot, or an evil clone, like something horrible was wearing his skin. The expressions, the way he stood in the pictures, the way his eyes held that blank, bitter look, it was all just foreign enough to make it horrifying.

The Liquidator slowly moved to his son's room. Again for a brief moment he could actually see his son's room. He could see the boy's video games, action figures, and movies. He could see Hank's tv. He could see the boy's messy bed. He could see that wonderful, warm room. But, no, that wasn't there. It was just a study. A cold, empty, soulless study.

He walked across the hall to his room. There was a single bed there. Not the big mattress he remembered, but a single twin mattress. He knew it was hard as a rock. He also could see in the closet. There was only one set of cloths there.

The Liquidator walked back to his television and sat down. He stared at the commercials with bitter eyes.

* * *

><p>Megavolt woke up on a beach. His head felt stuffed and achy. He shook his head and tilted it to the side, dumping a small bucketful of sand on the ground. He felt a little better after that. He pushed himself off the ground and began to walk up the beach towards the city. What was that city's name? He couldn't remember. San Francisco? Dover? London? He couldn't remember. His head felt like it had been stuffed with fluffy pillow stuffing.<p>

He walked down a street, filled with people. To his growing horror as he looked around he saw that these people had no faces. There features were blurred and smudged out, an endless sea of blankness that shocked Megavolt to the core. A few people called out his name and waved at him, but he couldn't make out their features.

Megavolt turned away and once again faced a pile of bones. Sitting on the pile of bones was a strangely dressed duck with glaring eyes and an evil expression. He looked down and Megavolt with a grin.

"Want a job?" The duck asked.

Megavolt stared up at the duck, uncertain. He felt that this duck was familiar, but he couldn't remember why. He knew that he had met this guy before, but the memories wouldn't come to him.

"I can help you with those." The duck pointed behind him, and Megavolt turned around. There was the window to the front of a store, but he couldn't tell what kind of store it was. Megavolt stared at the light bulbs in the window, confused.

_Help us! Help us!_

"Huh?" Megavolt shook his head.

_Help us! Save us, Megavolt!_

Megavolt rubbed his forehead, confused. "What is going on?"

_Please, we are hurting so much! It hurts!_

"You're hurt! How can I help you?" Megavolt frowned in concern. The voices did indeed sound like they were in immense pain. In fact the voices sounded like they were in terrible, heart breaking agony. Megavolt felt his heart go out to the owners of the voices.

_Free us from slavery!_

"Huh?"

Megavolt felt something coming for his head, and he ducked just in time to miss the bat that mysterious duck wielded. He stared at the duck handed him a light bulb.

_Thank you! Thank you!_

Deep inside, something told him that this was wrong. That a light bulb didn't talk. That this was stealing. That this was wrong. But his head felt sooo fuzzy, and he could have sworn that he voices of the light bulbs were happy. He felt like he was doing something right and good.  
>That these poor things were being enslaved, and it was up to him, and only him, to help. Ignoring the fedora wearing duck, Megavolt started to stuff light bulbs into a bag.<p>

"Stop! Stop! What are you doing?"

Megavolt turned to see three figures he could barely remember running up to him, waving and trying to get him to stop. He might have known who they were, but their voices were unimportant in comparison to the poor light bulbs.

One of them, a clown, tried to grab his arm, but Megavolt turned and zapped him. "No! You can't stop me! They will be free!"

Megavolt stood between the three and his precious light bulbs, attacking mercilessly.

* * *

><p>"Don't you see what you've done?"<p>

Bushroot shook his head and looked behind him. Oh no, not again. He thought he was through the worst of it! The fire and the windmill and the even the rapid mutating was gone. He was just standing in his greenhouse, finally safe at last.

"Megavolt?" He asked, confused. "Liquidator? Quackerjack?" The three of them were looking at him, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Look." Quackerjack pointed, his normally cheery voice replaced with the one he normally used in the presence of Negaduck. It was a cold, angry voice that was almost uncharacteristic of Quackerjack.

Bushroot turned and gasped. The city was being torn apart by his plants! All around them were ferns, oaks, shrubs, tubers, and even a few angry looking asparagus, all bouncing around and smashing windows, breaking street lamps, and worse yet, chasing people down and tossing them about like toys.

"Wait! No!" Bushroot shouted. "They would never do this!"

"This is your fault."

"Quackerjack! How can you say that?" Bushroot turned to his friend. "You know I would never tell them to do that!"

"And yet, they are doing it." The Liquidator frowned at him.

"It's not my fault!"

"You're the only one who could do it!"

"You've known me for almost a year, Quackerjack! You know I wouldn't do this! You're my friend! You're all my friends!"

Quackerjack sneered and turned away from him. "You're no friend of mine." He snarled.

"Nor mine." The Liquidator turned away as well.

"Agreed." Megavolt followed the other's example.

"No! You have to believe me! You have to!" Bushroot looked from one to the other, but none of them turned back to him. They were firm, unshakable in their outright rejection of him. He had never felt so alone.

_We will be your family again, if you join us._

_But…you are hurting people._

_You are not a person._

Bushroot turned away from his friends and looked out the window. Slowly, he began to nod.

* * *

><p>The yeti roared and swiped at Gary with its long claws, claws that looked like they were about an inch in length and diameter, like the claws of a very big bear. Gary yelped and jumped away, his fur bristling. The yeti's claws swiped at the air, but it came forwards anyway, charging towards Gary with a strange leaping run, similar to a gorilla. Gary leaped, his heart pounding in his chest and fear throbbing through his stomach. Those huge claws were so shiny and white, and so sharp looking! They looked far more dangerous than his own, in comparison, tiny black claws. Gary felt his front claws scrape against the thick fur of the yetis back as he leaped over the monster, but they didn't penetrate the greasy white fur. Gary vaulted from the back to the other side of the beast, hoping to confuse it. He made a break for the door.<p>

He turned his head and gasped as he scrambled to the door. A part of him had hoped the yeti would go over the side, but that hadn't happened. Gary felt his heart sink as the beast whirled and hurtled itself at Gary, huge claws lashing out again. Gary squealed as one of the claws caught his foot. He cried in anguish as the beast threw him upwards. The claw dug into his leg and scraped bone. He landed on the ground, blood freezing on his injured leg. He looked up at the yeti, which was licking its lips. Gary tried to slide away from the beast, but the yeti once again lashed out and grabbed him by the tail, dragging him back. To his horror the yeti started to bat at him, drawing more blood, but not enough to kill him.

It was playing with him.

Gary stared into the beasts unnatural red eyes and snarled. His own yellow eyes flashed, beginning to glow as he felt something stir in his mind. He was no mouse! The world seemed to narrow. All thoughts of Morgana and Negaduck and magic fled.

Gary roared and bit the yeti's paw, growling and snarling. His ears were laid back, and his fur bristled. He sank his claws into the beasts arm. The yeti howled and swung its arm up, shaking Gary around like a toy. Gary shrieked, a strange, primal yell, and leaped from the arm as it arched up and bit the yeti on the nose. The yeti howled and shook his head. A claw came up and the beast battered Gary over the head, four sharp claws digging into the top of his head and scraping down, ripping into Gary's fur like paper and narrowly missing his right ear. Gary screamed and jumped away.

Gary stumbled, the blow to his head slowing him down and halting the strange, primal energy he once had. He shook his head, little freezing drops of blood scattering across the snow. The yellow light faded from his eyes, and all of a sudden he remembered that he knew magic.

"Okay, okay…spell spell…Freeze!" Gary rose on his hind legs and wiggled a hand, small sparkles erupting from his claw tips and scattering towards the yeti. Gary's eyes widened as the yeti's feet were suddenly encased in ice. The yeti roared and swung its claws at the ice.

"Not that kind of freeze!" He had wanted to freeze it in place! That wouldn't slow it down for long. "Wait! Of course!" Gary tapped the side of his head with a paw, which caused him to wince. "Ow…" He lifted a hand and aimed a finger at the yeti. "Freeze!"

The yeti howled as the sparkles hit its right eye. A patch of ice covered the eye, blinding it. It howled and tried to lunge for Gary, who was now limping away on all fours, his injured leg fully lifted off the ground as he hobbled to the door. The injured leg was completely off the ground as he rushed for the door. He could hear the yeti clawing at the ice, and he hobbled faster. He cringed as he heard the ice break, and the huge footsteps of the yeti. Coming for him. Coming to get him. He didn't scream again, as his breath was almost totally gone by now. Air hissed from between his teeth as he felt the hot breath of the yeti, the only heat in this place, wash over his neck. He could see the teeth of the yeti going for his throat as he ran. He jumped, crashing through the door and sliding back into Morgana's mansion with a sudden jolt of welcome warm air and the feeling of carpet instead of snow.

"Raaaar!"

Gary looked up and gasped. The yeti's head was poked through the door, a single claw reaching for him. For a brief moment Gary's eyes began to glow yellow again, and he snarled. He dodged the claw and struck at the yeti's head, his own claws hitting the ice over the monster's eye.

The yeti jerked back as the ice shattered, shards of ice and Gary's claws bursting its eye. The beast reared back, away from the door, and Gary's eyes faded back to normal. He slammed the door in the yeti's face and locked it.

Gary limped to the middle of the room and sat down, the red frost on his head and leg melting and making a pinkish puddle on the ground. He watched the blood and water pool on the floor, totally ruining said floor. He could even start to see himself in the puddle. Did he really look that bad?

He turned his head to look at the mirror on the other side of the room. If anything the clear mirror made him look worse. There were four huge cuts on his head, and his fur looked wet and patchy. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted like a tired dog.

Gary felt something touch his face gently and he jerked. He looked down and stared at Scuttle, who was looking at him with a sad expression. The poor scorpion was cuddled close to his furry cheek, and was trembling. Thankfully Scuttle didn't look hurt. Scared yes, but not hurt.

"Kid, you're bleeding on the hardwood."

Gary raised his head, too tired to even growl at Negaduck and Morgana, who were both staring at him from the top of the stairs. Negaduck glowered at him and turned. "Morgana, come on. I want to talk to you."

Gary stared at his mistress, who was giving him a look of…irritation? She was irritated? At Negaduck? How Gary hoped so. He stepped closer to her, dragging his aching, injured leg. "Miss Morgana?" He looked into her eyes, begging her silently to turn away from Negaduck, to come down here and help him. She would do it! She was a kind person. She always had been a-

"Gary, go clean yourself up." Morgana said her voice strangely cold and dismissive. She turned away with an annoyed snort and followed her boyfriend. She didn't even ask how he felt.

Gary felt his heart break. He stared at the back of his teacher, who had never done anything like this before. His were widened, his ears drooping in depression. His fanged beak hung open in shock.

This stance lasted for about two seconds, then his eyes narrowed, his beak furrowed and he snarled, his long teeth bared. He limped towards his room, his leg aching as he climbed the stairs. He sighed as he opened the door to his room and limped in. He stared at the room as Ed bounced over, his beak clacking in concern. Coral was perched on the book stand, his tongue flicking in and out rapidly. He looked as sad as a snake could be.

Gary leaned against the door, his eyes closed as he breathed. He ignored the blood drying on his fur. He even ignored Ed as the vulture cooed and bobbed in front him. He just closed his eyes.

He stood that way for a very long time.

* * *

><p>The Liquidator stared at the television. The commercials were gone.<p>

"Do you like the room I made for you, Buddy?" The man in the mirror, in the television set, grinned at him. "While you were gone I've been cutting down on the competition! I even took care of you friends! Trust me; they won't be bothering us ever again. They hate us."

The Liquidator looked down, and then he laughed. "No."

"Deny it all you like, but you know it's true! You can't hide who you were born to be!"

"No!" The Liquidator stood up; his hand sweeping in a dramatic gesture with decimated a nearby lamp. "I am not you! I refuse to be you!"

"You don't have a choice!"

"I do have a choice! I always have a choice! I refuse to be the kind of person you are! I REFUSE!" The Liquidator raised a hand. "So many people whine and complain about how they were born and raised, I hear it all the time from villains! Oh, poor me, my childhood was miserable! No! I chose who I am, and I will not be you!" Water poured from the Liquidator's hand, flowing over the tv.

The Liquidator stared as, for a brief moment, the face in the mirror shifted from his own smirking face to a creature. A creature with a long, sharp beak and staring black eyes. He had seen this thing before.

"You…this isn't real. Who are you?" The Liquidator asked. The creature in the mirror just smiled, and vanished.

The Liquidator winched as the house suddenly burst into flames. He looked around at the burning place, and to his horror he knew what this was.

"Buddy…" It was Carla's voice. The Liquidator was enraged.

"How dare you! How dare you use her?" The Liquidator roared as he started to flow around the room, putting out the fire, looking for the creature. All of a sudden the bottom dropped from the floor, and he was falling.

Wait…falling!

"This is just a nightmare!" The Liquidator closed his eyes. _I will wake up. When I open my eyes here I will open them for real._

_ I will wake up!_

* * *

><p>Bushroot watched, both horrified and thrilled, as the plants rampaged. A part of him, a terrible petty part, liked it. Something deep inside him wanted to see these people pay for doing this to him, for making him feel like a monster when all he wanted to do was help people! It wasn't his fault he was this way! He didn't deserve this!<p>

_ You have suffered at their hands. _

That was true.

_They are paying now._

Again, true.

_Help us get rid of them, make them pay._

Wait…

_You are alone. You have no friends. _

But…

_They rejected you. _

Wait…

_Embrace the monster._

Bushroot heard a scream. He turned to see the others being lifted into the air by several trees, branches reaching for their throats. One of them was nearly at Megavolt's, and it was clear the branch was going to throttle him. Megavolt roared angrily at Bushroot, obviously blaming him.

Bushroot's eyes widened. "No." He shook his head. "No!" He picked up an axe from somewhere, he wasn't sure where, and rushed for the trees, chopping and cutting until they let go of his friends, who were still calling him names and blaming him. He ignored them as he faced his plants. Plants could not look at you like people could, but he could feel their disappointment and anger. A single tree with a dark knothole in its trunk almost looked like it could be an eye, a totally black eye…

_You betray us._

Bushroot felt his heart start to break as the plants once again rejected him, the sounds of his animal friends also screaming and rejecting him. However, as much as he wanted to, he didn't back down. He didn't waver. Not again. He knew that, no matter how much it hurt this was right.

_Now there is no one who will stand by you. You are alone._

Bushroot let the axe fall from his leafy hand as the world faded. He was now standing in a void. Devoid of life. Devoid of everything. He knew that he was alone now. Truly alone. No one wanted him around. He was condemned to be alone, neither duck nor plant, accepted by neither and banished to a world that was empty and cold. He was almost ready to despair. How he wished his friends were here! He'd never thought he'd think it, but he missed his friends, including the arguing and petty fighting. In fact, he almost wished he could hear Megavolt arguing with Quackerjack like they had been doing before and…wait! How had he gotten here? And why did nothing make any sense! The out of control mutating, the fact that he kept switching locations, this wasn't natural!

It was more like a dream than anything else. Immediately Bushroot's mind started to analyze what had happened. He knew that this was off. It was more like a dream than anything else. Of course! This was some sort of mystical magic vision thing! That witch must have done something to them!

Now, how did one get out of a magical vision?

Bushroot wasn't afraid anymore.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack was free, but his horror was only deepening. He stared at the scene before him, his heart aching and his body trembling. It couldn't be.<p>

His parents, and his brother, they were sitting in the dining room as they had before. But this time…this time…

Quackerjack backed away, out of the room. He turned around till back was at wall near the entrance. He slide to the floor and covered his face with his hands. They felt sticky. He took them away from his face and gasped.

"No…it wasn't me. I didn't…"

**Of course you did.** The dark, reverberating voice was back. To Quackerjack it was like having someone run a razor through his brain every time that voice spoke. He wanted Headboss back. He wanted Mr. Banana Brain back.

"That's not true!" Quackerjack shouted at the air, as he was pretty sure the voice was in his head. The voice laughed.

**You can't help yourself. It's not your fault boy. You have no control. No choice**.

"Stop!"

**Why? **The voice's tone grew annoyed, like a parent scolding a child. _**You**_** should stop. You won't have to try so hard to be good. It's unnatural for a wretched thing like you.**

"I'll stop you." Quackerjack stood up. He clinched his fist and glared around. He couldn't see the creature tormenting him, but he knew it was there.

**You stop me and you stop yourself. Don't you understand? I live inside you. **

"No! I'm not a killer! I'm not evil."

**You're just like those things you build and create. You are one of them. You are **_**my**_** toy, and I can make you do anything I wish. **The voice chuckled again, amused. Again it felt like the tone of an adult that has just heard a child say something stupid and funny, a cruel adult that hated children, and got sick pleasure from the child's unhappiness.

"I-"

** Oh shut up! It's getting old! Every night we go through this! It's enough to make me sick!** The voce was stern, warning, and for a brief moment the pain in Quackerjack's head grew. He wondered if the voice was causing it, using it as a form of punishment.

"…what?"

**Ha…**

"What are you talking about?"

**What? Don't you know? Dreamer…** Amusement dripped from the voice.

"I don't understand."

**What were you doing last?** The voice's tone was no longer mocking or amused. Now it just seemed stern, instructive, as if it was trying to teach its victim something.

"I…Negaduck!"

**Yes…You should wake up. As funny as all this is, you should wake up now.**

"Why? Are you helping me?"

**Merely getting the toy out from behind the couch it fell behind. I still have a use for you.** The thing was all business now.

"I won't do what you want me to, I'll fight you!"

**Oh enough! I grow bored here! Wake up! Besides, your little playmates will die if one of you does not awaken. **

"Let me see you." Quakerjack demanded. "And then I will cooperate, just this once."

**Look in the mirror, child.**

Quackerjack turned around to look at the hallway mirror, a huge thing made with a shimmering silver frame, decorated like leaves in a forest. There were actually two mirrors, two round mirrors beside each other. They had always scared Quackerjack when he was a child. They looked like two staring eyes. Always staring at him, reflecting the dark wallpaper so they appeared almost pitch black. He stared deeply into the eyes. There was something there…

Quackerjack screamed and looked away.

**Now that we are done with that little charade, let's get out of here**… The voice laughed.

* * *

><p>Megavolt grinned as he shocked the clown till he was down, sparking and twitching on the pavement like a stuck fish. He saw a green duck creature attack, trying to save his friend, but Megavolt's fury at the light bulb enslavers was stronger than anyone would have thought. He gleefully shocked the plant as well, and to his pleasure the thing burst into flames.<p>

"Stop! Please!" A thing made of water said.

But Megavolt was all powerful! His electricity might as well have been coming from the mythical Thor himself! There was nothing he couldn't do! The light bulbs would be free! The water being made Megavolt particularly angry. There was something about it that made Megavolt angry. Water was bad! He turned and zapped the water, a blast so powerful that it literally evaporated the water!

At this point the fuzz in Megavolt's head cleared. He blinked and looked, his eyes widening in horror. Those people! They were his friends! The Liquidator, Quackerjack and Bushroot! But he hadn't remembered them! Hadn't been able to tell they were his friends.

"You can't even tell friend from foe without your memories, can you?" The masked duck chuckled. "You and I are really the same, when you get down to it!"

Megavolt turned and glared at Negaduck. The duck was looking at him with a gloating smile. There was something off about his eyes. They seemed almost black. In fact, they were pitch black. Nothing but black. "No." Megavolt said.

"When you got down it, when you were left with nothing, you reacted with violence, just like me! You were willing to kill to get what you want! Just like me! Hero!" Negaduck scoffed.

Megavolt looked down at the bag of bulbs, then to Negaduck. "No." He said firmly. "You hurt people because you want to gain something. Even when I can't remember who I am, or even if I can't remember who is real and who is just a light bulb…" Megavolt tossed the bag over his shoulder, letting the bulbs shatter. "I am still a hero!" Negaduck recoiled with a shriek. "I fight for what is right! You're not Negaduck either! He wouldn't try to get me on his side, and he'd never compare us! Who are you!" Megavolt punctuated the question with a bolt.

Negaduck seemed to flicker, like a dying light. Underneath the skin was…something. A thing with a long beak and staring, black eyes. It was there only for a few moments, and then it was gone. Megavolt stared at the place where it once was.

"Ha! You think you can play mind games with me! Think again!" Megavolt concentrated, channeling his energy, realizing that here, in this odd mind world thing, he could do anything! So the bird thing thought it could use his insecurities against him? Ha! He'd show it! The energy flowed through him, and he channeled it out, filling everything in this strange world!

He would not be contained!

* * *

><p>"I told you that you didn't know the way." Ammonia said with a small huff as she stared at a cobweb in the Macawber house. How she wanted to take a nice vacuum and take care of that! Even a duster! But that would ruin the mission. She hated having to put the mission over her natural desire to clean, but a job was a job.<p>

"Well it's not like we can stop and ask for directions Amy." Steelbeak said wryly.

"I know that!"

"It would have helped if you and your vast researches could have gotten us some sort of map, Federal boy." Bulba growled.

"Hey, that's illegal surveillance!" Steelbeak sounded affronted.

"Does that ever stop you?" Bulba asked.

"Well…"

"Bah!"

"Children." Ammonia rolled her eyes. "Stop arguing or I am turning this rescue mission right around, young men."

"Aww, I thought you liked my age, sweetheart!" Steelbeak wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Focus." Ammonia said. "You can be Mr. Womankiller later."

"You promise?"

"Oh get a room." Bulba sighed. "Honestly, I feel like I just stumbled into an Abbott and Costello movie!"

"You know, none of you are subtle?"

The three whirled around to face their new enemy, or who they assumed would be an enemy. The small wolf creature looked pretty ragged and bloody, but he was looking at them with a mild, almost emotionless expression. It was the expression of one who was very very tired and really should go to bed.

"Great, I know have identified the picture. Abbott and Costello Meet the Wolfman." Bulba grumbled.

"You shouldn't be here. Negaduck could find you." Gary said.

"So he is here?" Steelbeak asked. "What about the Friendly Four?"

Gary's ears twitched. "The who?"

"You can't miss em. One's green, one's electric, one's water and one's a clown." Bulba said.

Gary gently knocked his fist against his head, not hard enough to hurt it again. "Yeah, they were here. Now they aren't." He said.

"Where did they go?" Ammonia asked.

Gary opened his mouth when his ears shot up. "Get in here and keep quiet!" Gary shoved them through a door and into a room. It looked like a large study. There was a set of bookshelves, reaching all the way to the ceiling. There was an ancient, wooden mahogany table, as well as several nice looking chairs. The three were inclined to stop, but Gary kept pushing them until they had come to a wardrobe.

"What's a-"

"Space dimensional portal! Get in and make sure you don't touch any branches! You don't want to get lost in the woods!" Gary shoved them all in the wardrobe and jumped in himself.

"What-"Ammonia was about to say, but Gary shushed her.

"Negaduck and Morgana are coming." He said.

"Wh-"

"Shut up!" Gary hissed. To his relief the three of them shut up just as Negaduck and Morgana walked into the room. They had a stack of papers in their hands. Gary was brisling as his eyes landed on Negaduck. Dully he realized that he didn't feel the same loyalty he had to Morgana as he used to. In fact he felt an instinctive dislike of her, as if he wanted to bite her. That had never happened before.

For a few moments Negaduck and Morgana sat there, cuddling, and looking over the papers. Gary tried to peek through the crack he had left in the wardrobe door to see what they were looking at. He could feel the other three leaning forwards as well, as if trying to see what Negaduck was doing. Gary hissed as Negaduck came a little closer. He realized the damn wardrobe was right next to the liquor cabinet. Nuts…

"Only one of them in the entire world?" Negaduck said as he fiddled around with whatever it was he needed to make his drink. Gary couldn't see unless he opened the door, and he wasn't about to do that. "And it can only be used once? That's…fascinating…" The greedy edge to Negaduck's tone was enough to send Gary bristling again.

All of sudden there was a large banging noise, and Negaduck and Morgana looked to the door.

"What was that?" Negaduck asked.

"I'm sure I didn't leave the mushrooms on." Morgana said with narrowed eyes. "You don't suppose it's more unexpected guests?"

"Either that or it's your brat causing property damage." Negaduck growled. "Let's go check." Gary heard the sound of the crime lord putting a glass down and he walked back into view. Morgana, who looked very irritated, nodded. Gary knew that look. It was a look that usually promised some sort of punishment. Her punishments used to be fair, but now Gary didn't know what she might do as she stood up. He watched as the two of them left, Negaduck slamming the door of the study.

"Okay, wolf boy, I need to get out of here before I have a panic attack." Bulba said.

"Huh?" Gary turned his head.

"I'm claustrophobic, fuzzball, now let me out!" Bulba growled as he shoved Gray out. The werewolf snarled a bit as he jumped to the carpet. He glared at Bulba.

"Keep doing that, Normal, and I feed you to the squid!"

Steelbeak grinned as he exited the wardrobe. "Finally found your weakness!"

"Oh shut up!" Bulba growled. He looked at the papers, particularly an open, old looking scroll in the middle of the table. Negaduck had left and walked over to them. "Let's see what that monster has planned…what the hell is this?" Bulba looked at a page with confusion. "Blod…pigeon?"

"Oh, that's just Old English." Gary walked over and looked down. "The title is Blódþigen Hwyrfling, for your information. A lot of magical books are in Old English."

"Okay, genius, what does it mean?" Bulba asked.

"I haven't the foggiest." Gary shrugged. "I haven't gotten that far."

"It means Orb of Blood, or at least that what those two think it means." Ammonia said.

"How?" Steelbeak asked as Ammonia grinned at him.

"Observe, dears that translated paper under the scroll." Ammonia pointed at the obvious paper that was just lying there, that the men had missed. The males gazed down at the translation and said "Ohhh." almost at the same time. Ammonia smiled fondly and shook her head. She looked at the translated paper and frowned. "I think we found what Negaduck was coming here for. I doubt it can be anything good."

"What makes you so certain?" Asked Bulba.

"It's Negaduck." Ammonia said. "And since when does anything with the word 'blood' in it turn out to be a good thing?"

"How about 'blood transfusion'?" Bulba asked.

"That means there has been a terrible accident and that someone is dying enough to need a blood transfusion." Steelbeak said. While the two nipped at each other Ammonia had taken out a special camera and was taking photocopies of the scroll and the translations.

Gary's ears pricked. "It can't be…" he muttered. He walked over to the door to the hall and placed an ear against it. "I think…I think I can hear your friends! Is one of them named Megavolt?"

"Yes! You can hear them?" Steelbeak asked.

"How…" Bulba looked a Gary curiously.

"I'm a werewolf; I can hear that Negaduck just shouted out either 'It's you Megavolt' or 'shih tzu Megavolt.'" Gary frowned. "I know one of them was a dog, but I don't think he's a shih tzu…"

"Pretty sure the Liquidator is the hound. I really doubt it's the second one." Bulba said. "Let's go get them!"

"No." Steelbeak said.

"What! You'd just leave them! Why you no good little-"Bulba whirled on him with a rage.

"Think, Bulba. We came here to find out what Negaduck was doing, and we have. He's looking for something, this blood thing, and he needed to come to this sorceress to learn about tit…by the way, who are you?" Steelbeak looked at Gary.

"Gary O'Kult." Gary said. "And I used to be Morgana Macawber's apprentice. She's the witch that's dating Negaduck." Gary frowned down at the scroll. "And apparently sweet nothings aren't the only thing she's been whispering in his ear." Gary's ears were laid back on his head, and his eyes were narrowed in anger

Steelbeak nodded."Look, I don't want to abandon them, but we need to take this information back to our headquarters."

"To your headquarters." Bulba grumbled.

"To whoever's headquarters! That doesn't matter, don't you see that?" Steelbeak raised his voice, and for the first time Bulba had known him he seemed…less than in control of the situation. "We have to find out what Negaduck is after so we can stop him!

"you are that set on getting him that you would turn your back on people you call friends?" Bulba snarled.

"Bulba please. I know you don't trust me, but I am telling you the truth! Negaduck is unlike any crime lord we have ever seen! I can't tell you everything right now, but you need to trust me!" Steelbeak put so much emotion in those words that Bulba almost found himself believing him…in fact there was something so almost desperate about the rooster, almost a panic. Bulba took a deep breath and sighed.

"I'll go tell your friends to get out."

All three of them turned to look at Gary, who was standing by the door. "I'll go down there and get them out. You take that stuff back to your lair."

"And we should trust you?" Bulba growled.

Steelbeak turned and studied Gary, who looked at him with a stubborn set to his beak. After a few seconds Steelbeak gave Gary a broad grin. "Ya, he's a good kid. We can trust him!"

"You always sound so certain." Bulba snarled.

"Hey, what can I said, I read people well." Steelbeak said.

Gary nodded. "Go, that window there will lead you outside." Gary pointed to a window across the room, right next to the bookshelves. It's not enchanted so it will be safe. Get out of here." Indeed the window showed the outside world and not anything strange or bizarre.

Steelbeak nodded, and he and Ammonia walked towards the window. Bulba gave Gary one last considering look, before he shrugged and followed. However, before he got out he turned and looked at Gary.

"Those four are the best hope this city has had in a long time, boy. You make sure they get out alive." Bulba turned and glared at the window. It looked…pretty small. "Now how am I going to get past this…?"

Gary didn't wait to see Bulba try to fit himself through the door. He totally and completely missed the sight of Bulba trying to squeeze through a hole half his size and get stuck halfway through; his irritable grumbling directly aimed a very amused Steelbeak. But then again, considering what end Gary would have been faced with, this was probably a good thing.

* * *

><p>Megavolt opened his eyes to find himself looking up into darkness. He groaned and sat up, and to his shock he received a leaf over his eyes. "Huh. Wha?" He tried to shake the leaf away, but someone held it firmly against his head.<p>

"It's okay Megs! You don't want to get more sleepy dust in your eyes, do you?"

"Quackerjack? Is this your idea of a joke! I just had the worst…vision…thing." Megavolt said. "And I am not in the mood!"

"We think they were dreams." Said Bushroot's voice from the left of him. "I think that dust that creature threw in our eyes might have done it."

"Are you sure about that?" Megavolt asked.

"Not really, just general deduction." Bushroot said.

"I remember a story my mother told me when I was a child." The Liquidator said thoughtfully. "She said that if you ever failed to go to sleep the Sandman would come and throw sand in your eyes, but they would always be bad dreams to punish you for staying awake and being naughty." Megavolt heard a gentle slosh as the Liquidator shrugged. "I guess she might have been right."

"We can't just sit here with leaves on our faces…why do we have leaves on our faces?" Megavolt asked.

"Because when I woke up I figured that if the creature can't throw the sand in my eyes then it can't put me back to sleep. I just grew one of my tail feathers out and used it. I kind of felt my way around until I found the Liquidator just in time for him to wake up, then we looked together and found you and Quackerjack.

"I woke up before you." Quackerjack.

"Congratulations." Megavolt said with a snort. "But how are we going to get out of here?"

"Technically I don't need my eyes to be outside my body to look around. I'm mostly puddle now. I have a nice shield of water protecting me. No leaves required!" The Liquidator said. "I have a plan. I think we can get that thing. I've seeing that thing that's in here with us. It flits about, and I can't get a good look, but it's been watching us. If we hold on to each other, and if I lured that thing down here with my eyes, we can grab it. Maybe we can question it."

"That sounds risky." Megavolt said.

"Don't worry, my electrical friend. I learned an important lesson in my dreams! There is nothing to fear but fear itself!" The Liquidator said. "As soon as you feel better we can begin!"

Megavolt nodded. "Do it! I'm not scared."

"Me either." Said Bushroot firmly.

"Nor I." Said Quackerjack.

The moment those words left their lips, the void seemed to crack. A single line of light appeared then two small ones below and above. It was like an open door. It was like a door opening, and to the Liquidator's surprise the door opened fully to reveal the room in the Macawber Mansion.

"Is…is it letting us go?" The Liquidator asked.

"It might be. I don't know about you, but the moment I stopped being afraid of what those dreams were showing me, I was able to wake up." Bushroot said. "What about the rest of you?"

"That was how it happened for the Liquidator!" Said the Liquidator.

"Yep." Megavolt said. There was a long pause. "Quackerjack?" Megavolt asked.

"I assume so." Quackerjack said with a shrug.

"You assume?"

"Oh, sometimes I don't remember my dreams." Said Quackerjack.

"Really?" Asked Megavolt.

"Yep." Said Quackerjack.

"I bet the same thing happened to you, Quackerjack." Said Bushroot. "But let's get out before that thing comes back!"

"Agreed, lead the way, Likky." Said Quackerjack.

The Liquidator nodded and grabbed Bushroot by a vine. Bushroot wrapped a vine around Quackerjack, who took Megavolt's hand. They all got to their feet, minus the Liquidator who kind of sloshed, and started towards the door. They walked fast but didn't hurry, to make sure the monster of fear wouldn't pick up on anything that might be construed as fear. Still, they made it to the door without and incidents, for which Megavolt was very relived. He let the leaf slip from his hand and fall to the ground as he approached the door.

For a brief moment he thought he saw the creature standing on one side of his face, the long bill turned up in a terrible rectus of a grin. Megavolt, however, had half been expecting this, and didn't react at all. He just stepped through the doorway, and made sure to slam it behind him.

"Well, what do we do now?" Bushroot asked as he and Quackerjack also let go of their leaves. For a few minutes they stared around the room, wondering how they would get out. The room was filled with doors, and even though none of them was as spooky as the nightmare door, when Megavolt opened one and poked his head out he found himself looking at a jungle. Straight into the eyes of a tiger. He slammed that door and shook his head.

"I don't think we need to try anymore of these doors." Megavolt said.

"We should scoot. I don't think that we are going to find anything today. We can always come back later and snoop." Megavolt said.

"It's you Megavolt! Oh, you aren't going to be snooping anywhere!"

The four turned to find Negaduck and Morgana standing in the doorway to the hall, both of them looked angry.

"How did you get out?" Morgana asked with narrowed eyes. "it should have killed you."

"We don't kill easily." Megavolt said defiantly. "Get them!" Megavolt sparked along his fingers, readying to zap. Bushroot gestured towards some potted plants, which rose up to wiggle at Morgana and Negaduck. Quackerjack and the Liquidator leaped forwards.

Morgana's eyes widened. She had never been attacked by superheroes before, and Negaduck knew it. Knowing that this was the perfect opportunity to get her completely one his side, he grinned. It was true that he had been doing his best to push her towards the dark side of magic, as he knew that this would make her more inclined to help him. Failing that the romance would help to shove her towards sympathizing with him. He was already having an effect on her, and in fact he knew from her erratic behavior these past few days, sometimes being her old nice self and other times acting darker, was an effect of the dark magic. It changed personality as it worked in you, and Morgana tonight was showing signs that she could be pushed towards the darkness. Now was the time to make the final shove, and he would have his magical ally.

Negaduck jumped in front of her, taking out his chainsaw as he lunged. "Stay behind me!" He bellowed, for all the world like a protective and loving friend. He swung the chainsaw at Quackerjack, forcing the Liquidator to block the blow. He leaped and kicked Quackerjack on the face, driving him towards Megavolt. Megavolt leaped away, avoiding bumping into his friend. The Liquidator tried to flow around Negaduck, who kicked at him, stomping into his water and distracting the Liquidator. The Liquidator chuckled and wrapped himself around Negaduck's leg, tripping him.

"Finally! It ends! We have you!" The Liquidator laughed; confident he finally had his long time foe at his mercy.

Negaduck, drawing on the inner campy actor that dwelt within, turned his head and gazed at Morgana. "Run!" He said, putting as much false desperation in his voice as he could muster.

It did the trick.

Morgana roared and seemed to grow, clouds forming around her and swirling like the worst of thunderstorms. She gestured and a black bolt of energy flew from the cloud, zapping Bushroot's allies to dust. Another bolt slammed into Quackerjack, blasting him back to the other end of the room. Fortunately, in a way, he ended up slamming into a wall, but this was better than flying through a door and ending up in Timbuktu or something. Another zapped the Liquidator, and he sizzled and screamed. Only Megavolt was unaffected. He snarled and lunged for her, a bolt of lightning aimed at the witch's chest. Her head turned towards him with a snap. To his horror her eyes had gone from their normal color to pitch black, all black. The same black that had possessed the creature in the void.

**"You puny cockroach! You dare attack me!"** The woman's voice reverberated through the room, and she sent a bolt of black energy for Megavolt, who ducked just in time. Negaduck slid beside her, a look of victory in his eyes.

"Morgana! No!"

The witch turned her black eyes on Gary, who was standing in the hallway leading up to the room. He had none of his familiars with him, and he looked appalled. **"I warn you, dog. Stay out of this."** She growled. The gentle tones of the woman who had once been his teacher were gone, as if they had never been.

Gary stared into her black gaze, and his own eyes narrowed and began to glow yellow. He had nothing to say to her. He snarled and rushed her on all fours. She sent bolts of dark energy towards him, but he dodged each one, ducking, then moving to the left, then the right, then finally jumping the last one in a might leap. He almost flew through the air and bowled her over, claws slashing and cutting at her face. His claws landed heavily on her face, and blood flew through the air. She had not been expecting such a savage attack. She screeched and rose off the ground, completely horizontal, and levitated Gary into the air. She readjusted her body until she was vertical once again, and drew the levitated Gary close to her. His eyes had gone back to normal.

"Friendly Four! Run! Get out of here!" He bellowed at the four, who were regrouping. Bushroot was helping Quackerjack stand up, and Megavolt was standing near the Liquidator as he reformed, trying to protect him. Megavolt looked up at the werewolf, and nodded. He turned to the wall and spotted a window. He turned back to Gary.

"Let him go!" Megavolt shouted at Morgana.

** "Go! I will let him go! Worthless mutt! Take your claws out of my heart and take yourself out of my home!"** She roared and pushed, and Gary was shot towards a window with the force of a thrown baseball. Megavolt turned and blasted the window, shattering the glass, and allowing the werewolf to fly harmlessly past.

"Let's go!" Megavolt nodded at Quackerjack and Bushroot, who leaped out the window, followed by a reformed Liquidator. Megavolt backed away from the explosively angry Morgana, and the strangely serene Negaduck. Indeed, the crime lord seemed very pleased.

"Run, Megavolt. Run like the coward you are." He snarled. Megavolt frowned, and then laughed at him.

"We are so much alike, you must be a coward yourself!" he said. Negaduck roared at him in anger, and Megavolt grinned as he leaped through the window.

That was the Negaduck he knew!

* * *

><p>Megavolt and the others didn't stop running until they were across the street. Megavolt turned to count heads and frowned. "Did anyone see that wolf kid?"<p>

Quackerjack shook his head. "We looked, but…" He shrugged.

Megavolt nodded. "Bushroot, keep watch. Let's look for him!"

"You're alright!"

The four turned and relaxed a bit when they saw it was just Bulba, followed by a very smug looking Steelbeak.

"Well, we can now confirm that Negaduck's girlfriend is a crazy witch." Megavotl said as he gave Steelbeak a hard stare.

Steelbeak grinned. "We got something out of it! We found some papers in there! As soon as the boys get to decoding the-"

"Hold it! You went in as well!" Megavolt glared at him. "Ddi you use us as a distraction! We were gone for only a few minutes!"

"Megavolt…you are Megavolt right? You were gone for hours!" Ammonia said.

"Who are you?" Megavolt stared at her.

"Name's Ammonia Pine. Pleased to meet you." She smiled at Megavolt.

"I didn't intend for you to be a distraction. We went in to find you! But we did stumble on something important." Steelbeak said.

"Yeah, we don't need your help unless we ask for it, Steelbeak." Megavolt growled.

"Okay, okay! Chill babe!" Steelbeak held up his hands.

"Okay, so you found something. What is it?" Bushroot asked.

"Not sure yet. But I'll tell you as soon as I find out." Steelbeak smiled at them. "This could be the key to defeating Negaduck!"

"Ummm, guys." The Liquidator said. "Has anyone seen that wolf kid? He kind of flew through that window!"

Bulba's eyes widened. "That boy? We need to look for him!"

They searched for Gary, looking down each block and checking everywhere they could think of, but the werewolf had vanished.

* * *

><p>Lloyd had a bad job. A really bad job. He was the local dogcatcher, and while he liked dogs, he didn't like having to chase them around the streets. Especially when they would try to bite. So when he almost ran over the poor thing laying in the road he almost had a heart attack. All he knew was that it was big and furry, and bloody.<p>

Lloyd grabbed his catch pole and flashlight and slipped out of his van. He aimed the flashlight at the thing, which didn't move. He stepped closer and his eyes widened.

"Oh! You poor thing! Who did this to you boy?" He leaned over the pathetic scrap of fur and almost cried when he saw the deep scratches all over the poor things body. The leg and the head looked the worse. In fact it looked like he had been clawed by a bear. He patted what he thought was a dog on the head. It was a strange looking dog, that was for sure, but it was alive. He checked its neck, and didn't see a collar. In a way he was relieved. Anyone who let a dog get in this condition was a monster!

"Come on boy, I'm taking you to a vet. I'll have to take you in to the pound, but I'm sure the doc will patch you up! And maybe we can find a nice home for you!" Gently he picked up Gary and placed him in the back of his dog catching van. Gently he started to drive the car for the pound.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later Quackerjack and Bushroot rounded the corner, looking for Gary. But all they saw was a departing van…<p>

Quackerjack collapsed into Bushroot's couch and turned on the tv. Bushroot stared at him and frowned. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I really don't feel like sleeping." Quackerjack said moodily.

"Neither do I." Megavolt said as he plopped down beside Quackerjack. "You guys don't need to sleep. Lucky." He muttered.

The Liquidator and Bushroot looked at each other, frowns on their faces. "I don't know, I sometimes miss sleeping." Said Bushroot. "But…"

"Let's just say I'm not eager to go to sleep anytime soon." Megavolt said. "I…it was bad guys." He shook his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bushroot asked.

"I want to watch mindless television." Said Megavolt.

"Cartoons?" Quackerjack asked.

Megavolt sighed. "If you can find any at this hour. I don't care."

Bushroot and the Liquidator watched over their friends for the rest of the night, though despite their protests both Megavolt and Quackerjack had nodded off within the hour.

If Megavolt had any bad dreams that night, he never said.

If Quackerjack had any, he didn't remember.

* * *

><p>AN: I realized that, for some subconscious reason, the scratches that Gary gets on his head are very similar to the ones gotten by a character called Gin in an old anime called Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, which wasn't released in its completed form in America, though it can be found on Youtube. It's a pretty awesome show. For some reason the yeti loses the same eye that the villain of GNG, a bear named Akakabuto, does. However the way the two characters lose their eyes is different. I didn't really do it intentionally, but it must have snuck in there when I was not looking. Hey, at least I recognized it long enough to give credit to this awesome anime.

I know that most of the nightmares of the Friendly Four ended up being some form of the whole "monster within" story, but when I really got to thinking I had to ask myself "What would their worst fear be?" I thought that for the Friendly Four their worst fears would be for them to be like they are in the normal Darkwing universe, even though they have never met those characters at all, there is still a bit of the originals in the mirrors, with the possible exception of Quackerjack. Guess what his fear really is?

I couldn't help but send Gary to the pound after the throwaway line in the first one. Will he be back"? You'll see.

One of the lines that Morgana says at the end there is a moddifed line from the Raven. I love that poem. The orginal line is: "Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door", which the narrator of the poem says after he finally gets sick of the raven saying 'Nevermore'. Take from that what you will.

The Old English in this it taken directly from the internet, with little knowlege of the actual form and grammer of Old English. Normally I would research such things, but at the same time I really don't have access to anthing that would help with translating Old English besides Google.

_Next time: Bushroot has been asked by a friendly colleague to help with a new fertilizer, but when the fiery villain Phyros gets a hold of it he grows to immense size! Can the four beat a lizard the size of a skyscraper that breaths fire? Where have they heard of that plot before? Find out!_


	10. Light Up the Town

An Author's Note: And here we have the Negaverse representation of the infamous Dr. Slug, who I don't think we ever saw, except for maybe once in passing. He looked like a mutant slug. So, to make things easier for me, well, you know the drill by now.

Sorry this took so long. I was, umm, distracted.

Chapter 10

Light Up the Town

"I can believe you are sitting there." Megavolt shook his head at the Liquidator, who was relaxing on the couch. The water dog looked perfectly content to be there, something that Megavolt couldn't even begin to comprehend. "You are a grown man!"

"You just can't give it a chance." Quackerjack looked at him from the corner of his eye, most of his attention focused on the screen. "And I am watching it!"

"You're practically five yourself!" Megavolt said.

"I'm a year older then you!"

"Physically, but not emotionally!" Megavolt sneered.

"Awww, just cause you have to grow old doesn't mean you have to grow up!" Quackerjack said. "And it could be worse! I could be watching the Cute Little Lost Bunnies."

The Liquidator chuckled. "As if anyone would! Even kids have good taste. The Bunnies are the most intolerable, sugary, unbearable things on television!"

"As if this is any better!" Megavolt gestured at the screen. "It's so…pastel!"

"At least the voice actors are good, and the characters are actually three dimensional." Quackerjack grinned at him. "I should know as this was made by my company."

"Normally I do not approve of cooperate sponsored drivel, but Quackerjack Toys Television was always quality programming." The Liquidator smiled gently as the watched the screen. "Even little boys liked this show. Too bad there are only reruns now."

"Yeah…my favorite is the pink chimera!"

"I always liked the orange one." The Liquidator said. "Now that is a chimera with work ethic!"

"They are fluffy little magical chimera who prance around a fluffy little fantasy world learning lessons about friendship and being nice and all that other preschool crap!" Megavolt was pacing around now, his frustration reaching nuclear levels.

"Well, that is true." Bushroot stuck his head into the rec room and smiled. "But at least they save the idiot hammer until the end!"

"Oh don't tell me the clown has infected you as well!" Megavolt moaned.

"No, I don't watch it, but I can't help but see a little bit of it as I work. It could be a lot worse."

"It's for five year old girls!"

"But it's a good show for five year old girls."

"ARRRGH! I am surrounded by, by…I don't know what to call you people!" Megavolt shouted.

"Megs, you need a hobby." Quackerjack said. "I mean, I have a hobby. Bushroot has a hobby, even the Liquidator comes around to hang with us. But all you do is fight crime and be tense. You need to relax. Do something fun! Like me!"

"I don't find children shows fun." Megavolt said flatly.

"Then don't watch it! I'm not tying you to the chair! Go find a room and play with sciencey electrical things! We'll get you if we need you to zap a villain!"

"I do not need a hobby." Megavolt's tone dropped a few octaves.

"Megs, relax-"

"I am relaxed! I am RELAXED!" Megavolt shouted as he jumped up and down. He didn't know why, but talking to Quackerjack was so stressful sometimes he wanted to kill the clown!

"Megavolt." Megavolt stopped as Bushroot put a leafy hand on his shoulder. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Megavolt took a deep breath and followed Bushroot out, glaring one last time at the screen. Good grief, that clown…He took a good look at the screen, at the little fluffy things. Okay…so maybe they were a little cute…No! He was a man! He didn't like cute fuzzy wuzzies no matter how cute, fuzzy or wuzzy they were! He was a superhero, damn it!

He followed Bushroot, was frowning slightly. "What?" He growled at the plant mutant. He didn't like the concerned look Bushroot was giving him. "You think I need a hobby to?"

Bushroot sighed. "Yes, but that is not why I pulled you away." Bushroot pointed at the phone. "I just got a call."

"Is it the rooster?" Megavolt asked.

"No, it's an old friend of mine, Dr. Slug. He just called about some sort of issue he is having with fertilizer."

Megavolt looked at his friend. "More fertilizer?"

Bushroot nodded. "He's actually working on a variation of mine…oh don't frown at me like that; I said he could do it! He's trying to get it to repel bugs. He's really more of a chemist then a botanist, and he works with pesticides."

"Pesticides?"

"He's trying to invent a pesticide that will mix with my fertilizer to both stimulate the growth of a plant, and to keep the majority of harmful insects away. And, not kill the plant or poison pets in the process. I agreed and gave him permission to work with it. However, like I said, there is a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Megavolt's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure. He didn't say." Bushroot said.

"Okay, that sounds suspicious." Megavolt said. "You need me to watch your back?"

"Sort of. I trust Dr. Slug, but I want you to come with me because…well…" Bushroot smiled. "The last time we dealt with my fertilizer you three went harrying off to confront suspected thieves and such-"

"That woman was such a-"

"Megavolt, please." Bushroot help up a hand. "I want you to come with me to put yours, and their, minds at ease." Bushroot nodded in the direction of the tv. "Besides, you are the only one who can be considered scientific."

"Do we need the others?" Megavolt asked.

"I doubt it. We aren't going to fight a villain here!"

"You never know." Megavolt said.

Bushroot shook his head, a sad smile spreading across his beak. "You don't trust anyone do you?"

"You trust to many people." Megavolt said. "Are we going or not?"

Bushroot nodded at him, and begin to lead the way out of his greenhouse. Megavolt followed him with a sigh.

* * *

><p>Megavolt had to admit, the St. Canard Arboretum looked like the kind of place that Bushroot would love to hang out. Plants were everywhere, just everywhere. Trees. Shrubs. Ferns. Other things that Megavolt wouldn't even try to identify. In fact, the moment that Bushroot stepped into the place Megavolt could see him almost instantly…ummm…blossom maybe? The little purple things on top of his head certainly seemed to perk up. Megavolt, on the other hand, was on edge. There was a lake there. A small one, meant for the plants, but Megavolt was wary of it. Those rocks around it looked slippery, so Megavolt made sure to stay on the path as he followed Bushroot. The plant mutant seemed to be more relaxed than ever, if that were possible. Megavolt, on the head, was far from relaxed.<p>

In fact, despite what he had roared in the greenhouse, he couldn't remember when he had last been relaxed. But then he didn't have any reason to be. Who could relax with his job?

Far too long for Megavolt, though they hadn't walked for more than a few minutes, they came to a door, which Bushroot knocked on. Said door was in the middle of a large wall of glass, misted over with precipitation, making it difficult to see through unless you wiped the glass. The door opened to reveal a small, plump, balding duck with a pair of glasses on his face. The man grinned and clapped Bushroot on the shoulder.

"Reggie! It's been so long! I heard you finally got your doctorate!" Dr. Slug's grin was huge. "Not to mention the whole hero gig! Who would have thought?"

"Well, I needed to do something with the mutant powers." Bushroot grinned.

"Can't say I know what that is like. I've never been a mutant!"

Megavolt stifled a grunt and tried not to shift around. He knew that this guy was a friend of Bushroot's, but could they please move this forwards?

Finally, after a bit of chit chat that nearly drove Megavolt up the nearest glass wall, Dr. Slug motioned for them to follow them. He was still talking, and Megavolt finally refocused on the doctor.

"When we used the new modified formula on the daisy it had…some interesting results."

"Define 'interesting'." Megavolt asked. "Interesting as in 'huh, that's funny', or 'Oh my god it's an abomination unto man and nature'? Because that's a very important difference in 'interesting'."

"Ummmm." Dr. Slug didn't look at Megavolt, which set off all kinds of alarm bells in the rat's mind. "I haven't figured that out yet. That is why I need Bushroot. He can talk to the thing."

"Oh great, the thing." Megavolt said. "The thing' is never a good word. What is this thing?"

"It's…ah…a mutant plant."

Bushroot's eyes widened. "What!"

"It's not like you, Reggie. It's never been a duck. It's pure plant. One I rescued, in fact. I used the new formula on it and…well…and, it's not happy."

Megavolt looked at Bushroot, who sped up. They soon came to a shed, from which something was bellowing "Blllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" And the sounds of breaking objects echoed.

"Reggie, can you?..." Dr. Slug looked at Bushroot, who nodded grimly. Bushroot stepped forwards and opened the door, ducking as a pot came flying through the air. Megavolt stepped up to follow Bushroot, but the mutant held up a leafy hand.

"No." Bushroot said. "He's afraid. Let me handle it." Bushroot stepped in and closed the door in the other two's faces.

"If you need me I am right here." Megavolt planted himself in front of the door. Just in case. "Flowers are nice and gentle, right?" He looked at Dr. Slug.

"Not this flower." Slug shuddered.

* * *

><p>Bushroot hadn't told Megavolt, but he had been feeling a lot of anger coming from that shed, as well as a good healthy dose of fear and confusion. That was not a happy mutant in that shed, that was for certain. The fear could turn quickly into aggression, and that aggression would be taken out on whatever the plant felt threatened by.<p>

Bushroot stopped as he entered and stared at the thing. It was taller then Bushroot himself, by about a leafy head. It's stem was a lighter green than Bushroot's stem, and it had a bit of fuzzy vegetation between its wooden, clawlike roots and its waist. The roots themselves seemed similar to Bushroot's own, and it had a pair of leafy hands, again similar to Bushroot. Indeed, aside from the lighter tone the biggest difference between this new plant mutant and Bushroot was the fact that it had a large daisy for a head, and a mouth with apparently an underbite. It looked rather mean as it stood there, stem held taunt and tense and leaf-hands clenched into fists. It shook a fist at Bushroot and downright snarled at him.

Bushroot concentrated, trying to laser focus his telepathy with plants on this one plant. He didn't use words, as words were pretty much alien to the plants, and they really only used words with him because they knew he was most comfortable with words. But he knew that he would have to use feelings more than words with a plant turned humanoid, instead of a humanoid turned plant. Bushroot closed his eyes and tried to transmit exactly what he was feeling to the mutated daisy.

They were alike, Bushroot knew this. He knew that they were in the same position, though they had started at different places. They were both stuck between plantlife and animal life, but now neither of them were completely alone. Bushroot didn't realize how…comforting it would be to have something so much like himself. Yes his loved his plants. Yes he cared deeply for the other heroes, but none of them were exactly in the same position he was in, caught between animal and plant. It wasn't like having powers, or like being part water (the Liquidator didn't have any issues with how water thought), or even just being slightly out of step with the rest of the world. This daisy, however, this daisy didn't have to be alone. Not like Bushroot was.

As Bushroot tried to get the daisy to realize this, the other mutant seemed to relax. It stared at Bushroot then slowly approached. Bushroot reached out his hand and slowly, cautiously, like a man approaching a wild tiger, the daisy slowly brushed its leaf against Bushroot's own leaf.

Bushroot smiled, and the daisy mimicked the motion.

"I think you're going to be fine." Bushroot said gently.

* * *

><p>The thirst was endless. Totally and completely consuming. Had to find a drink. Had to find a drink! His throat was tingling and burning. Suffocating and stifling. Pain, pain, so much pain!<p>

It was wet. It was starting to rain. Hurting. Hurting. More pain. Pain. Wet drops like little searing bits of cold. Like placing your hand on dry ice. Searing cold. Burning cold.

Building made of glass. Glass with plants. Plants don't feed the fire, but plants were under a roof. Roof with no water. Less pain.

Drink to feed fire. Fire take away pain. Burn it all away. Burn it to the ground. Burn.

Claws get him into the building. No more water. Big plants to slink and hide behind. Pain in throat claws. Claws and bites. Bites and claws. Have to find something. Anything. Hurts so bad. So so bad.

Must be quiet though, oh yes. If not then people scream, run, call in the Four. Call the Water. Hateful, hateful water. Hate water. Hate so much. Hate.

What is this? Funny funny smell. Smell like Walking Plant. Smell like Lightning Rat. Other smell. Smell of…something.

Smell help with burning? Maybe. He would try anything. Follow smell. Follow follow follow.

See a glass wall. See research thing beyond. See pink liquid. Pink liquid make smell.

Would pink liquid take away burning?

Must try, try and see.

Oh yes…

* * *

><p>The screaming and roaring jolted Bushroot out of his joy. The daisy also jerked and snarled, looking around for the enemy. Bushroot looked at the daisy and tried to talking.<p>

"Stay calm." He said. To Bushroot's pleasure the daisy looked at him and nodded. It understood! Bushroot walked to the exit, and the daisy followed him. Bushroot couldn't sense any more hostility from the daisy, so he didn't see any problem with it.

When he and the daisy exited the storage shed they found that Dr. Slug and Megavolt had turned back towards the research area. Megavolt turned his head, kinda quirked and eyebrow at the two mutants, but didn't say anything against the new mutant's presence. "There's something going on. Let's go."

"I'm taking him with me." Bushroot stated. Megavolt shrugged.

"Sure, bring Petalhead. Maybe he can help." Megavolt turned and sped towards the commotion.

Bushroot blinked. He had half expected Megavolt to object. He looked down at Dr. Slug. "Stay behind us, I don't want you to get hurt." Dr. Slug nodded and followed behind the group.

As they approached the glass wall leading to the research center, they saw the problem. for one thing the glass had been melted, and the sides still glowed with dying embers. Megavolt's eyes narrowed. There was a very short list of people who could do this. He snarled and jumped through the hole. Bushroot followed, but the daisy, Petalhead, didn't. It looked at the glowing glass edges mistrustfully, and folded its vines. It wasn't going in there.

Dr. Slug, who by now was getting more relaxed without pots flying at his head, walked up and patted Petalhead on the arm. The plant mutant looked at him, and seemed to smile. Dr. Slug walked forwards and opened the door. Glad to see that there was a way in that didn't include fire, Petalhead followed. Dr. Slug came to a halt and gasped. Petalhead winched as if it was in pain.

The creature's name was Phyros, and he was a terrible sight. No clothes to speak of, like a wild animal, but he could stand and talk. However, the things he said, usually something like "Thirsty thirsty thirsty!" didn't sound like the uttering of the sane. In fact, the frantic tone of his voice, the shifting motions of his huge glaring eyes, and the lashing of his blackish green tail spoke of a deep inner madness. The mad iguana was currently clawing his way down the tables set out in the lab, thrusting away bottles of chemicals and plant samples and other things. Researchers were running away frantically, but unfortunately a few caught his attention. With a roar Phyros whirled on a poor woman and breathed. Fire erupted from his mouth, reaching to scorch her, but fortunately a pair of vines lashed out and plucked her out of danger. Bushroot placed her as far away as he could, and stepped into view, a wary but determined look on his beak.

Phyros' tail lashed from side to side. He screamed and blew more fire at Bushroot, who managed to dodge. Phyros snorted and scrambled along the lab table where he was perched, occasionally breathing fire at the people around him. The scientist in Dr. Slug managed to note the fact that this poor creature was so far gone that he was even walking like an animal, all hunched over with his arms held close to his sides, like what one would expect a dinosaur to walk. It looked ridiculous, and rather sad.

Megavolt ran up, a rack held in his hands. He swung the impromptu weapon at Phyros' head. Phyros, seeming to act purely on instinct, whirled around, his tail lashing across Megavolt's chest and sending him flying into the air. Megavolt grunted as he landed a few feet away, actually very near Dr. Slug.

"What is wrong with you?" Dr. Slug bellowed. "Don't you have powers?"

"Fire and lighting don't work that well. Sometimes explosions happen. I think it's because he has a tendency to eat fuel." Megavolt said, but he shouted when he saw Phyros turn and blow more fire at them. Megavolt grabbed Dr. Slug and pulled him to the ground as the fire raged over them.

All of a sudden Phyros screamed as something yellow and green hit him on the side. Megavolt looked up and smiled. The daisy had joined the fight! Petalhead had thrown itself at the raging iguana, and was pummeling him with water can. Megavolt didn't know if the plant knew that Phyros' weakness was water, but it was working regardless. At least it worked for five seconds, until Phyros slashed at Petalhead with his claw, and ripped the water can from its leaves. Phyros lowered his head and charged, pushing the other plant mutant back and to the ground. Phyros snarled and lifted his lips, fire gathering around his teeth.

Dr. Slug's eyes widened when he saw this. He raced towards them, ignoring Megavolt's bellow of protest. He sided to a stop near some pots, and pulled out a hose. He turned the hose on and water sprayed over Phyros.

Phyros' scream was one of pure utter pain and confusion and downright horror. It was the scream of a man who had just been sprayed with acid, and whose face was melting right now. Dr. Slug stopped the water in shock, not expecting that reaction.

Phyros roared and turned, charging at Dr. Slug. Dr. Slug tried to step away, but tripped and fell, landing on a puddle of spilled experimental chemicals. Phyros roared and swiped down, but Dr. Slug rolled out of the way with a grunt. He didn't want to think about what those chemicals might be doing to him, but right now the crazed loony trying to claw him was a little higher in the priority list.

All of a sudden Phyros stopped and sniffed the air. The sound of glass rolling across the floor met Dr. Slug's ear, and he looked up. Phyros had stepped away, and was sniffing at a bottle of pink liquid.

"No! Stop! You don't know what you're-"Dr. Slug tried to stop Phyros, but the brute didn't seem to hear or even understand him. Phyros gulped down the fertilizer with one huge gulp. He eyed the bottle, then screamed and tossed it away. He blew more fire about the area, enraged.

Dr. Slug felt something gently grip his shoulders and try to lift him up. He struggled to his feet, and looked to find Petalhead helping him up. The big flower snarled and shook a fisted leaf at Phyros, who turned his burning gaze on Petalhead and Dr. Slug. Phyros took a step towards the two, and then hissed as a rock bounced of his head. He turned just in time to get another rock, courtesy of Bushroot, lobbed right at his nose. Phyros hissed and stepped forwards, but then stopped as his stomach rumbled. A look of confused puzzlement crossed Phyros' face and he looked down and patted at his stomach, as if wondering what was going on down there.

Phyros squeaked as his foot suddenly expanded like a blown balloon. The appendage nearly speared poor Megavolt, who had found his rake and was coming back for another round. Megavolt jumped to avoid Phyros' gnarled toe. He wacked said toe with the rake, but that didn't do much. The expansion of Phyros' foot soon spread to his opposite hand, and Phyros stared at his hand with a rather dumb expression on his face. Soon, the rest of him rumbled, and he shot into the air as his head burst through the dome of the Arboretum. He roared and shook his head, getting the glass out of his eyes, as Megavolt and Bushroot herded the remaining civilians, included Dr. Slug and Petalhead as far away from Phyros' huge feet as they could.

Phyros looked around from his new vantage point in puzzlement. Then, the mad iguana roared in victory, spotting a gas station. He stared to move towards it, the earth shaking as he walked.

Megavolt, Bushroot, Dr. Slug, and Petalhead watched Phyros lumber away.

"Okay, so, Phyros just ate a quart of experimental fertilizer that apparently makes people and plants grow to giant size." Megavolt said.

"Let it be established that it didn't do that when I made it." Bushroot said.

"True…funny side affects that pest repellant…" Dr. Slug said.

"Phyros is, right now, probably going on a fuel addicted rampage."

"Oh defiantly." Bushroot said.

"The good news?" Megavolt asked.

"We can check off Giant Monster Attack and the Enemy Grows to Giant Size from the Things We Will Eventually Encounter list." Bushroot said. "Hey, at least it is not I Have a Big Death Ray again." Bushroot held his leaf out, right where the other half of the building used to be. "And it stopped raining."

"Oh goody." Megavolt rolled his eyes. "Doctor, are you going to be okay?" He looked at Dr. Slug.

Dr. Slug nodded. "I'll be fine. I had some spare fertilizer at my house. I can get over there and see if I can reverse the process."

"Shouldn't you get to a hospital?" Megavolt asked.

"Do you think there will be a hospital to go to if that creature has his way?" Dr. Slug said. "I'll have to risk it."

Petalhead looked at Dr. Slug and stepped towards him. Looking at Bushroot the other mutant grumbled and stared. Bushroot nodded.

"He really likes you." Bushroot said. "Said you played some really nice sounds for him."

"Beethoven." Dr. Slug said with a smile. "I really do think it helps them grow." He smiled up at the daisy, who nodded at him. "He can understand me?"

Bushroot nodded. "Not at first, but he is learning."

"How-" Megavolt started, and Bushroot smiled.

"Telepathic connection with plants, remember?"

"Oh, right." Megavolt nodded. "We need to get moving." Megavolt, after making sure the rain was gone, started towards the rapidly moving, but still visible, head of Phyros. Bushroot nodded and followed.

* * *

><p>Multitudes ran as the big lizard rampaged through downtown, fire shooting from its wide jaw as it burned buildings and occasionally people. Its mighty tail swung, cutting tail shaped lines through buildings, raining down concrete and support bars on the street bellow. It's footsteps left huge furrows on the ground as it stomped about. Military units had been scrambled, jets, helicopters and tanks, but they seemed to do nothing to the giant monster's thick hide.<p>

Somewhere a crime lord watched in awe, with a full bowl of popcorn. Yes there was a lot of property being destroyed out there. He was going to enjoy the show!

Meanwhile, down on the ground…

"Okay, I get that Phyros is big now, but why is he trying to hump a skyscraper?" Quackerjack asked as he and the Liquidator rendezvoused with Megavolt and Bushroot.

"You managed to tear yourself away from the cartoons?" Megavolt asked a little snidely.

"Blank tapes do exist, Megsy." Quackerjack said. "Get with the twentieth century!"

Megavolt ignored the idiot. "Here is the plan. Me and Quackerjack with distract him, while Bushroot uses his vines to tie his feet together. Liquidator, you douse him. Just like we always do with Phyros, but a bigger scale."

"It's the scale I am worried about." The Liquidator said. "I'll have to summon a lot of water. Not sure how I will handle it."

"You can do it, just remember not to splash me." Megavolt said. "Ready? Let's go!"

As the Four approached the source of the panic a duck ran past them, waving his hands in an almost dramatic fashion, and screaming something that sounded like "Chinchilla! Chinchilla!" Megavolt stared as the man raced past, and looked back at the others in puzzlement.

"What's a Chinchilla?" He asked.

"Isn't it a fried burrito?" Quackerjack asked. The Liquidator shook his head.

"No, that's a chimichanga." He said.

Megavolt shrugged and kept running. They could worry about Mexican food later.

Megavolt had no idea why Phyros had chosen to run up to a large skyscraper and hug it, but the big creature was. Maybe he liked architecture or something? That thought vanished when Phyros tried to take a bite out of it.

Megavolt and Quackerjack leaped up onto the buildings, easily finding handholds on the rough stone. They were experienced in climbing these surfaces; in fact Megavolt had a feeling that he was one of the few people who had the privilege to know St. Canard purely by its rooftops. Soon the two were level with Phyros' huge eye.

Megavolt opened with a large blast of lighting right in Phyros' eye. Usually in battle with the lizard Megavolt had to be careful, because of Phyros fuel diet it was very likely that Megavolt's electrical attacks would make Phyros literally explode. It had happened before. What scared Megavolt about Phyros was the fact that, for some reason, Phyros could survive explosions, even when he himself exploded. There was some sort of healing factor going on, and Phyros could only really be hurt by water. Megavolt suspected if you immersed Phyros in water long enough the iguana might die. Though technically the Liquidator could have taken care of the Phyros problem within a few minutes, none of the Four wanted to do that. But, now that Phyros was giant size, Megavolt had a feeling that the only way he could cause an explosion was to physically go down Phyros' throat and let loose.

He kept that option in the back of his mind.

Phyros roared as the lighting zapped his eye. The iguana whirled around; concrete and rebar clenched his mouth, and fired. Megavolt and Quackerjack jumped down, barely missing the huge flames. Megavolt nabbed a power line, then Quackerjack hand as they fell. Megavolt swung Quackerjack forwards, who flipped through the air to land on Phyros' stomach. Phyros roared and tried to swat Quackerjack, but his movements were slow and sluggish, as if the big lizard was not used to his size yet. Quackerjack easily dodged the huge hand, then jumped and gripped a finger. Phyros shook his hand in the air, and Quackerjack jumped as the hand lifted into the air. Quackerjack fell down towards Phyros' head, and tossed marbles into Phyros' eyes. The marbles exploded and Phyros screamed, his hands flying up to wipe his eyes.

He hadn't noticed that Megavolt had followed Quackerjack's path, and was even now jumped from a hand to Phyros' face, right beneath the big thing's nose. Megavolt pulled out his electricity gun and zapped Phyros in the nostrils. Phyros roared in pain and stepped back, shaking his head. His tail lashing and slamming buildings.

Phyros felt a tug on his legs, and looked down. Bushroot hadn't spared a second, and had wrapped Phyros' ankles in vines, and tied these vines to the surrounding buildings. Phyros tumbled to the ground as the vines pulled taunt, and landed on the ground with an earth shattering kerthump. Phyros writhed on the ground, bellowing in pain and anger.

The Liquidator sloshed in front of Phyros and seemed to tense. The Liquidator drew his watery body close to himself, like he was posing for a comic book, elbows tucked in and fists clenched. He suddenly threw his arms up and every single fire hydrant within ten feet burst their lids, the water collecting in the sky. The Liquidator noted that Megavolt had taken to a power line and was quickly running away. The Liquidator waited till Megavolt was in the clear, and then brought his hands down, the water following his commands. The water rushed into Phyros' nose and mouth. For a second the iguana simply lay there, ridged and tense, and then he thrashed again, claws scratching at the pavement.

The Liquidator strained as he commanded the water, big drops actually appearing on his surface, almost like sweat. It was unnaturally hard to do this. He never thought that he might have a limit to the amount of water he could command, but apparently he did. He knew that he couldn't keep this up for long, but he had to channel the water! He knew if he poured enough Phyros' light would be doused enough that he would fall unconscious.

All of a sudden he felt a boiling sensation. The Liquidator looked up from where he had bowed his head and gasped. Steam was gushing out of Phyros mouth. Hot, boiled steam. Evaporated water.

"My God." The Liquidator whispered in awe. The steam grew as Phyros breathed. Soon the Liquidator could see his stream of water backing out of Phyros' mouth, followed by the flames evaporating it. The Liquidator tried to push, trying to last the lizard out, but he was growing weaker. To the Liquidator's horror the fire only seemed to grow hotter, and all of a sudden an extra bit of force seemed to be thrown into it, and the fire rushed towards him. The Liquidator had just enough time to see his water boil towards him, before he himself was consumed. He could feel himself rapidly evaporate, and start to float to the atmosphere.

Greeeat, it would take forever for him to reform and fall back to the earth!

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back on the ground, Phyros had given a mighty tug, and the vines holding him strained, as if having minds of their own. Unfortunately the buildings were not so inclined, and they suddenly broke and collapse in on themselves, bringing tons of concrete down on Phyros' head. For a moment the huge pile of debris simply stood there, but soon the pile of rubble erupted, and Phyros struggled out of the pile, tails swinging and head twisting back and forth. He raised his head to the sky and roared, flame erupting from his mouth. Phyros shook himself and stomped off, heading to the east.<p>

Megavolt, who had seen all of this, ran back, skidding to a stop at the pile of fallen buildings. He hopped onto a few of them and started digging, trying desperately to free his friends. He stopped when he saw some vines curling around the edges of some of the concrete, and a huge slab was lifted off the ground, revealing Quackerjack and Bushroot. Both were safe.

"You guys okay?" Bushroot and Quackerjack nodded.

"Likky got evaporated." Quackerjack said with an annoyed expression. "There goes our best match for Phyros!"

Megavolt nodded. "We can't wait for him to come back down, we have to do something! I have another idea! If we can lure him to the bay we can dump him in! Trip him or something! He is heading that way! Probably looking for oil transports or something."

The other two nodded and started to follow Phyros' trail. Quackerjack laughed a bit.

"Hey, at least this time he can't hide! What's he going to do that size? Wear a trench coat and glasses?"

Bushroot chuckled. "Now that is a funny image."

"See Megs! I am funny!"

"One of these days I am going to tell you about a thing called the 'little white lie", Quackerjack." Megavolt grumbled.

* * *

><p>Dr. Slug rubbed his arm a bit as he turned on a little Beethoven for his new plant friend, who smiled and seemed to…unfold. The once little daisy really seemed to like it. Petalhead was content to sit there and listen to the music as Dr. Slug went about his personal lab, taking his remaining sample of fertilizer and putting a sample under a microscope. He had been experimenting with the stuff long before Phyros had eaten it, hoping to reverse what had happened to Petalhead.<p>

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you, I hope you forgive me." Dr. Slug looked at Petalhead, who frowned a bit. "I just wanted to help you grow. You were such a little thing, and so sick! I hated looking at you at that florist! All I wanted to do was help."

The daisy looked at him, then smiled and nodded. He gave the doctor a little gesture, that seemed to be an approximation of a thumbs up. Dr. Slug grinned at Petalhead and continued to work. He had taken a mouse in a cage and gave it the fertilizer, and he nodded as the same thing that happened to Phyros happened to the mouse. It became bigger and stronger, and stomped about its cage like a little king. Dr. Slug fiddled with the formula, making changes and adding ingredients, in an effort to find something to reverse the process. He noted that Petalhead didn't seem to be paying attention, instead the plant's head was cocked to the side, and the look on its yellow face was…odd.

"Is something wrong?" He asked the plant, who nodded. "With Bushroot?" Again a nod. The doctor frowned. "How would you know that?" Petalhead tapped the side of his head, and Dr. Slug gave him a confused look.

Petalhead hissed to himself. The animal wasn't getting it! Petalhead could hear Bushroot, but now it was clear, almost as clear as normal plants had been before. In the past Bushroot's voice had been…odd. Garbled. Complex and rapid, hard to follow. Even as the plant lay in its pathetic little pot at the florists, suffering and hurting, the daisy could feel Bushroot, as it could feel the other plants. But now, perhaps because he was part animal, the daisy who was even now starting to think of itself as Petalhead, as the rat had called him, could hear Bushroot much better. He was starting to get animal thoughts, individual thoughts. Indeed, sometimes it even thought of itself as a him. Himself? Him. Petalhead. One. Unique. Or…maybe not so unique.

Bushroot, he had to help the other plant mutant! He could feel the other plants fighting, hurting, and he knew that Bushroot was fighting the fire animal! The plants always tried to help, but now…now he could help. Now he didn't have to sit in a pot and listen to the screaming.

Petalhead suddenly sprang up, a look of determination on his face. The plant snatched the remaining bottle of fertilizer, and rushed up the stairs and out of the lab. He could sense the nice animal following him, but didn't acknowledge it. At this point it wasn't that important.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Slug bellowed, and Petalhead jerked. Tere was something odd in that tone. A tone that he had never experienced before. It was…bad. Unhappy. Petalhead turned and looked at the animal, and frowned. That nice animal…was that worry?

Petalhead turned his head and looked at the rampaging, but distant form, of the fire lizard. Petalhead turned to the animal and pointed to the fertilizer. Then he pointed at himself, then he punched at the air, then pointed at the fire lizard.

Dr. Slug's eyes widened. "You can't! You're a plant! Phyros could kill you!"

Petalhead nodded, and chugged the fertilizer. He could feel the odd sensation of his stem flooding with energy. He groaned as his body shot up, his vines extending and his roots growing thick. Soon he was taller than Phyros, if a bit thinner and less muscled. But then again animals were always too bulky and huge.

Petalhead gently placed the remains of the fertilizer down, and making sure he didn't smash the nice animal, rumbled off towards the docks, his leafy fist slapping into his leafy palm.

He was ready.

* * *

><p>"Okay, now it's tuna! Tuna!" Megavolt shouted as Phyros picked up a ship filled with tuna and chomped down. "I thought he ate fuel!"<p>

"Maybe he is confused." Bushroot said as he dodged some falling debris. "I mean, more than usual."

"I think we need bigger vines." Said Quackerjack. He turned and looked behind him, and laughed. "Oh look! Wish granted!"

Bushroot turned and frowned. "Oh…that's what they meant by help." He said.

"Who?" Megavolt turned.

"The plants, look." Bushroot pointed at the sky. Megavolt looked up just in time to see a huge, rooty foot land several feet from them, and then ascend into the sky. Megavolt kept looking and saw the sight of the huge Petalhead.

"Oh…don't tell me…" Megavolt said. "Are we really doing this? A big monster fight? What is going to be next! Interdimensional travel!"

"You should stop saying things like that." Quackerjack said. "Every time you say that it always comes true in a week."

"Megavolt, he sees the future!" Bushroot said with a gentle smile that softened the teasing words.

A roar set their minds back on the task at hand, and they turned their eyes on the confrontation in front of them. Phyros stood with his left side facing the water, and his right the buildings. He was roaring at Petalhead, who had ripped a Hypo Burger sign from the ground and was holding the metal rod like a quarterstaff. The daisy's face was contorted in a frown, and he twirled his weapon around.

Phyros charged, mouth agape and claws outstretched. The fierce monster tried to claw at Petalhead's face, but the plant brought up his sigh, letting the claws scrap against the big, flashing sign that read Hypo Burger. Sparks flew as Phyros' claws dug into the cheerful florescent lights, but this gave Petalhead the advantage. The plant lifted a root as Phyros clawed at the sign, and clawed Phyros thigh, near where his leg connected to his waist.

Phyros reared and blew fire at Petalhead, who dodged out of the way, using his natural flexibleness. It was a darn good thing plants don't have bones. Petalhead struck with the sign, attempting to bat Phyros into the water, but the iguana was having nothing of that. Phyros ducked and charged, colliding with Petalhead and driving him back. Phyros hissed and bite down on Petalhead's stem. Petalhead screeched, not used to this kind of treatment. He pummeled at Phyros' head with the sign, but Phyros didn't seem affected by this.

"Let's go!" Megavolt shimmed up a light pole and shot a beam of energy at Phyros, which sparked against Phyros' hide. Megavolt vaulted onto a building and climbed, trying to get a good shot at an eye. Quackerjack followed him, hoping to toss some more marbles at Phyros.

In the meantime, Bushroot tried to get as many vines down there as he could, but Phyros was apparently wise to this trick. He jumped and lifted his feet, firing the ground and roasting the vines. Phyros spotted Bushroot trying to back away, and aimed his flames at the retreating plant mutant.

Green filled his vision, and his eyes widened as the other plan mutant jumped low, covering Bushroot and taking the fiery blow himself. Phyros jerked his head back and screeched, upset at this disappointment.

Petalhead, eyes closed and in agony, thrust his sign at Phyros. Perhaps it was luck, perhaps it was some unknown skill that daisies might have with huge metal rods, but somehow the sign was jabbing into Phyros mouth. Fire spewed out of the lizard, melting the sign in Petalhead's hands. Petalhead winched as the hot metal started to cover his hands, and he stepped back as Phryos stepped forwards. Long claws the length of a small plane slashed across Petalhead's face, dislodged petals and making the poor plant fall back to the ground.

Fire flickered around Phyros' mouth, and the lizard was about to let loose when he suddenly stopped, eyes widening. To everyone's shook, Phyros' tail suddenly expanded and shorted, taking on the basic characteristics of a balloon. Phyros turned around and stared stupidly at the appendage, his big buggy eyes growing even bigger and buggier. The expansion suddenly shifted, going to Phyros' feet, and making him look like he was wearing clown shoes. Then it went to his head, which pretty much make him fall flat on his face. He howled, but he seemed more annoyed by all this then in pain.

At least until Petalhead punched him on the snout, bringing the lizard's head up. The expansion went south, giving Phyros a huge gut. and making him look like a balloon. Petalhead grinned and stepped around till his back was against the buildings and gave a light shove. Phyros rolled with a mild eep into the ocean.

Phyros thrashed, fire shooting into the sky, but it finally seemed the big lizard's fire was fired out, and the flames grew weaker and weaker as Phyros moaned in pain. He sank into the bay, his body weakening and his limps seeming to wilt.

Petalhead watched his foe started to sink, and odd expression on his face. Gently the plant extended his vines, wrapping up Phyros in his leafy arms and depositing him on the ground. Phyros, all of his energy taken by the water, lay there and steamed, looking miserable.

"That was AWESOME!" Quackerjack bellowed, jumping in the air in glee. "Did you see that! That was great! I've never seen anything that totally AWESOME!"

"Totally?" Megavolt groaned. "If the words 'radical' or 'cowabunga' ever escape your beak I will kill you in the name of the Mouse."

"What mouse?" Quackerjack asked.

"Hush, we don't talk about that." Bushroot said with a smile.

"It happened to him too?" Dr. Slug ran up, a bottle of blue liquid in his hand. "I thought the expansion might happen to him. It happened to the mice just now." Dr. Slug looked at the fallen lizard, who was still moaning. "Is he alright."

"As much as Phyros can be." Megavolt said with a frown. He knew how the big lizard felt. He hated water. "Is that a cure?"

"It worked on the mice." Dr. Slug said.

"Huh…" Megavolt shrugged as Quackerjack took the bottle of blue stuff and pogo sticked up to Phyros' mouth. Being careful, just in case Phyros sparked or worse yet swallowed, Quackerjack poured some blue cure into Phyros mouth. The lizard's eyes rolled, and soon he was shrinking, until he stopped at his normal size. The ballooning effect was gone as well, and Phyros just turned on the ground. On his back he held his stomach and hissed.

"I feel so sorry for him." Bushroot said as Quackerjack held up more blue cure for Petalhead, who took it and poured it into his mouth.

"He's a monster though! Who knows how many people he hurt!" Dr. Slug said.

"It's not his fault, not really." Quackerjack came up, an odd expression on his face. "He…he's." Quackerjack shook his head. "He lost his mind, but no one was there to help him."

* * *

><p>The police department had a special transport built long ago for Phyros, who was a constant source of terror for the citizens of St. Canard. They bundled up Phyros and stuck him in this fireproof transport, and were soon gone for the prison.<p>

"Okay, a week or five days?" The Liquidator, who managed to reform, asked Bushroot. "Lay your bets!"

"A week. He seems really worn." Bushroot said. He then turned to smile at the now small Petalhead. "Thanks, you didn't have to do that."

Petalhead smiled and nodded. He patted Bushroot on the shoulder.

"Well…you know, if you want to join us…" Megavolt took a deep breath. "I am sure we can make room on the team for another plant mutant. What do you say, pal?" Megavolt smiled at Petalhead, who smiled back. Then, to everyone's shock, save Bushroot, the plant went over to stand by Dr. Slug. The plant then placed a vine on Dr. Slug.

"You…want to come back with me?" Dr. Slug asked.

Petalhead opened his mouth and coughed. He grunted, and wheezed, and then, finally.

"Stay. Nice. Animal. Friend."

"You can talk now!" Dr. Slug grinned as Petalhead coughed. "Oh! Don't worry! I'll help you with your grammar and spelling and oh this is wonderful! I never had a roommate!"

Bushroot walked over to Petalhead, who was still smiling at the other mutant. "I'm glad to know that there is another out there. If you ever need anything…"

Petalhead reached out a hand and grabbed Bushroot's own. "Brother. Visit."

Bushroot nodded. "Count on it."

* * *

><p>Dr. Slug and Petalhead returned to Dr. Slug's house. After making sure the mice were no worse for wear, Dr. Slug escorted Petalhead to a room. It had its own adjoining bathroom, and Dr. Slug showed the plant how to get water out of the bathtub tap, in case he got thirsty. Dr. Slug also brought a tape and a tape player. The tape was, of course, Petalhead's favorite.<p>

"Night…I don't even know if you sleep. Oh well. See you in the morning." Dr. Slug left Petalhead in the room. Indeed, the plant didn't sleep, but he did rest in a chair and turned on his tape player. Eyes closed, Petalhead listened to his favorite muse, and let his mind wander back into the rhythms of a plant. Contentment washed over Petalhead. He just felt so good. This had been a good change. He liked it. But now he wanted things to say the same.

It was midnight when it happened. Dr. Slug moaned in his sleep, his body twisting and thrashing.

Unbeknownst to either of the new roommates, little trails of slime appeared on Dr. Slug's face, and began to drip on the pillow.

* * *

><p>AN: Again, sorry for the delay. We have Agent of the Divine One to thank for the Chinchilla joke. Here's to being one of my best readers, buddy! Thanks for taking the time to read.

I know this chapter is short, but it is basically one fight scene after another, so at least it is action packed. This seems to happen to most of my action packed episodes. They end up shorter then the other ones. I hope you enjoyed it.

Yes, a few American Godzilla references in this. This is not to be a compliment to that movie. Ick. Stupid iguana.

And yes, you can 'rescue' plants. You go to a hardware store or something were they sell them and find ones that look sad and wilted, then you take them home and give em a little tlc. My mom does it all the time.

_Next time: Moonbird brings us another guest chapter! An accident at Quackerjack's takes Megavolt on a little trip to a place both alien and familiar. It is a place where everything he knows and loves is gone, and where his worst nightmares have the faces of his friends._


	11. Crossed Wires

An Editor's Note: and here is yall's bonus chapter for the week, brought to you once again by moonbird and edited by yours truly. Enjoy.

Chapter 11

Crossed Wires

There were a lot of things that Megavolt had to question in his own life.

How had he gotten where he was? How had he become what he was…One of the grandest lunatics in all of the world, and he even knew it, that was the worst part of it. Powers or no power, he had always been considered an odd individual, now how-ever, he was just a plain lunatic.

And some-how, Megavolt had no idea how; he had ended up becoming best friends with the one single person in the entire universe who was a bigger lunatic than himself!

How in the holy smokes did that happen!

And the reason why Megavolt was asking himself that at the current time, was simply because seeing the insides of Quackerjack's home again forced Megavolt to seriously question his own life, person and predicament.

That enormous doll head just starring down at him, those tin soldiers standing ready on the table, and the worst thing of all. There was no way for Megavolt to tell which once were just regular nice harmless toys and which once were life threatening weapons. Anything in here could be anything, contain anything. Gas, acid, bullets, ancient spells… jelly babies? ANYTHING!

And right in the middle of it all was Quackerjack looking as happy and at home as ever. "Come on come on." He cheered at Megavolt who was still down on the floor looking a little lost in the huge room among all of the big dangerous toys.

"What am I doing here again?" Megavolt asked.

"Trying to get you to have some fun." Quackerjack told shortly as he jumped around, pulling stuff out of a huge pile of wires and toys. "Unwind, get your mind off things."

"And you are going to do that how?" Megavolt asked with squinted eyes.

"Don't forget I know." Quackerjack blinked. "You love building things; you're an inventor by heart! LIKE ME! We actually got a lot in common once you dig beneath the surface, isn't that great?" he asked excited.

"Yeeeah." Megavolt muttered in a resigned tone, almost bitterly, sitting down resting his chin on his hand. "Just great." He muttered sourly looking at the biggest lunatic in the universe digging through his stuff.

"What about this?" Quackerjack asked finding what just looked like a big chunk of wires stuck together. "I've been working on it on and off for years, but doesn't seem to get anywhere."

"What is it supposed to do?" Megavolt asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"I have absolutely no idea!" Quackerjack cheered. "Thought to keep it a surprise, but there is a big red button to push when it's done." He pointed gleefully at the button. Waay to gleefully.

Megavolt couldn't help it; he just had to hand palm himself as he grunted. "Well, if you don't know what you are building, then just maybe that would be the reason that you are not getting anywhere!"

"Really?" Quackerjack blinked. "You really think so?"

"How would you even know when it's done?" Megavolt asked.

"By pressing the red button and stuff happens, obviously." Quackerjack rolled his eyes. "Here, why don't you have a look any-how?" he threw the weird object through the air and Megavolt instinctively caught it in the mid-air, before pulling it down, snorting at the sight of the contraption.

"There's no way I am going to do something so stupid." He muttered though not putting the thing away, and his eyes were locked on it, much against his own will. "I mean look at this! It's just a mess, clearly this wire here is purposeless, but if you put it here, and then re-wire this." All ready his hands was deeply buried in it. "Haha!" he laughed gleefully. "This go here, and that goes here, out with that!" he threw a chip over his shoulder. "Man this is all wrong, here we go."

Quackerjack wisely withheld his 'I told you so' moment and instead laid down on his stomach resting his head on both his hands as he looked up at the engulfed Megavolt with a big grin plastered on his face. Wires flew in all directions, and new parts were taken to be stuffed into the weird mess.

"And then we just need a little power." Megavolt commented zapping the instrument with a finger so it started pulsing. "And PRESTO! If this is ever going to work, now is the only time." Megavolt stated as he clapped his hands.

Quackerjack chuckled from his position. "And you know what it's supposed to do?" he asked.

"What? How should I know, it's not even my invention!" Megavolt exclaimed.

Quackerjack side glanced at all of the exchanged stuff and back on the contraption which looked nothing like it had a some time ago, something told Quackerjack nothing was left inside of that thing as he had left it. "I think that could be argued." He commented. "Megs! Why don't we get to it and see what it does?" he asked excited. "Press the button!"

"Erh, I am not so sure that's a good idea." Megavolt hesitated. "We don't even know what it does."

"Come on! You built it!" Quackerjack pointed out. "Aren't you just a little bit curious about what it does?"

Truth to be told, Megavolt was positively itching, badly, he had to use control to keep his hand away from that nice big red button, on that pulsing thing he just build, only reason kept him from it. And at last he sighed. "I have you know, if anything bad happens, I hold you personally responsible."

"Ofcourse." Quackerjack nodded, that big grin plastered on his face. "Get to it!"

Megavolt took a deep breath and then sighed deeply. "Oki doki, here goes nothing!" he exclaimed and pressed down on the button. In the first seconds the box started vibrating, then the shaking grew harder and harder. Megavolt suddenly got the sense his head was exploding, in a big bang everything turned white, whiter than white. It hurt Megavolts eyes, before his vision grew black, and he lost conscious.

* * *

><p>Megavolt groaned, he had a splitting headache and he felt a bit sore. He was laying on a very hard surface, like a wooden floor, he rubbed his head as he slowly opened his eyes. "What?" he asked. "What happened?"<p>

"Beats me squinty eye, but look at the mess you made!" A very recognizable voice almost laughed.

"Oh Quackerjack." Megavolt hissed annoyed. "This is so your fault."

"My fault?" Quackerjack asked amused as he bounced around. "You're the one who came into _my_ lair and started digging around in _my_ stuff, nimwit!"

Megavolt gaped. "Did not! You dragged me here."

"Ha!" Suddenly Quackerjack stood right in front of where Megavolt was sitting, bowing down so they were only mere inches away. "Trouble with the ol' holed memory again?" he asked knocking on Megavolts forehead.

"Would you stop that?" Megavolt exclaimed pushing Quackerjack away. "What is wrong with you today?"

"The same that is wrong with me every day." Quackerjack sighed.

Megavolt blinked. "Erh, right…fine, that's a pretty good point actually." He muttered. "But if you're going to be like this after I almost got hurt, I'm so out of here." He stated starting to walk for the exit.

"Huh, who peed on your sugar cereal?" Quackerjack asked with a slight raised eye-brow. "At least have a little manically fun, you know, the thing we are so good at." A grin spread on the toymaker's face, a look that Megavolt had never seen before. It was an almost sinister expression, one that promised pain.

"What?" Megavolt asked as he looked over his shoulder, started by the strange, maniacal expression on his friend's beak. He shook his head as he grabbed the garage like door to the exit, pushing it upwards to get out, but then he stopped in mid motion by the sight which met him. He was absolutely and completely stunned, starring wide-eyed at it with open mouth. "Quacky?" he called in a stunned voice. "How long was I out?" he asked.

"A few seconds." Quackerjack shrugged.

"Are you sure?" Megavolt asked. "You are not keeping some-thing from me?" he asked.

"Keeping things from you?" Quackerjack drawled. "What do you think I am, a master criminal whom no one should trust?" he asked in such a gleeful, yet cruel, voice that sent shivers down Megavolt's spine, but not as much as what was in front of him.

The fumes and worn out buildings of his world were gone, instead of the normal gray polluted sky, the sky in front of Megavolt was blue. Clear blue, like a robin's egg. And the streets looked so clean, the buildings so neat.. The people…the people looked, normal, content, busy with their own lives, not at all worried about vicious crime lords or crazy scientists or fire breathing villains.

"This isn't right... isn't right at all." Megavolt swallowed. He knew he should have been happy about this sight, about all this happiness and contentment. And the way everything looked so new! The sprinkling water, the singing birds, but it still seemed very unnerving. He hated the pollution and misery of home, but to find it replaced so suddenly was jarring. "Quackerjack, you are honcetly going to tell me there's nothing strange about this?" Megavolt asked gesturing at the people.

"That's boring and that's all." Quackerjack snorted. "We should go cause some mayhem soon! Spread some chaos!"

"What?" Megavolt blinked. Was Quackerjack saying what Megavolt thought he was saying?

"Come-on Megsy." Quackerjack grabbed Megavolts shoulder. "What do you say? That new mayor sure annoys the hell out of me! What if we go kidnap him and demand a bounty for not dropping him in oil and feathers, just for the fun of it!"

"What?" Megavolt asked once again.

"Your right, not messy enough, I know!" Quackerjack snapped a finger. "That traveling museum with original inventions are coming, it's supposed to have one of the first light bulbs ever created, right down your alley, hey?" Quackerjack asked leaning against Megavolt. "I'll let you have this one, then you help me go kidnap the president of Wiffleboy later, it's going to be fun!"

"Fun?" Megavolt asked disbelieving looking bewildered at Quackerjack. "Quacky… your sure you're all right?" he asked. He knew that Quackerjack could be strange, but he didn't hurt people! Not unless they were villains! What Quackerjack was suggesting now was…downright sick.

"I'm great." Quackerjack told him. "It's you who looks a bit out of it." He commented dryly.

"Oh, do I?" Megavolt swallowed. Something was wrong, and Quackerjack was a part of it. He couldn't let his friend know that he was on to him."Well, I must admit I have been feeling just a little bit under the weather lately." He nodded ducking out of Quackerjack's grip. "A cough." He fake coughed in his hand. "Yes that's it! Terribly nasty!" he backed away from Quackerjack not daring to take his eyes away from the clown.

"Maybe you should try and clean your synapses." Quackerjack suggested with a lifted eyebrow. "There should just be power enough in the museum to give you a shock strong enough."

"Why on earth would I do that to myself?" Now Megavolt was extra dumbfounded. "To subject myself to shocks like that would be a sure way to make my memory banks the equivalent of a leaking boat! My memory problems are bad enough as it is! Why would I further it?"

Quackerjack halted, now looking at Megavolt with squinted eyes. "Maybe you should stay here." He suggested in a tone Megavolt did not like. "Just for safeties sake."

"Urmm…" Megavolt backed away. "No.. no Quacky, I wouldn't want you to catch it, oh I feel so dizzy." He held a hand to his head. "Better go home and rest, absolutely, CIAO!" and Megavolt spoon around to take a run for it escaping down the people filled clean streets. Which again, was so odd! Usually the streets were oftened abandoned, with people hiding away in fear, and even if they had to go out they walked with their heads bowed and their jackets pulled up over their necks, afraid to be seen, even if it was a large group. These people seemed to just mind their own business. Megavolt was twirling around, just trying to take it all in, trying to figure what was happening, looking wide-eyed at the people, wide-eyed at the buildings.. the blue sky.. it was all so much to take in, and Megavolt still had no clue what was going on.

That was until a woman's scream cut through all of the sounds and Megavolts eyes shifted to a middle-aged plump woman pointing at him. "MEGAVOLT!" she screamed.

"Ummm." Megavolt hesitated. "Yeah that would be me, honcetly I am not used to be recognized, but if it's an autograph you want or-"

"GET HIM!" A man suddenly screamed.

"Pardon?" Megavolt asked.

And before he knew what was happening the entire crowd was turning on him.

"ARGH!" Megavolt exclaimed and quite literately had to run for it. "HEELP!" he exclaimed running through the buildings. "Oh boy I really don't want to do this." He sparked, letting electricity fly from his whiskers, an intimidation tactic that really didn't do anything, but was scary to see. The people in front of him started scattered, screaming, and then he turned around sending a zap towards a truck on the road, and dragged in front of him, cutting the angry mob away from himself. "SORRY!" Megavolt yelled taking a turn down and alley, and around to the other side of the building where he pressed himself up against a wall taking deep breaths. "What's going on around here?" he asked bewildered before he sighed relieved by the site of a blue uniformed official. "Oh thank god." He sighed. "OFFICER!" he called and ran for the blue uniformed dog. "Officer there's a rampage happening!" Megavolt exclaimed pointing at the place he had come from. "People are going completely mad!"

The officer starred wide-eyed at Megavolt, almost shaking. "Me-megavolt" he stammered.

"Oh brother, when did I become a celebrity?" Megavolt groaned rubbing his forehead. "Officer you better call backup, you better…" Click.

Megavolt looked down on his writs to suddenly discover that he had just been handcuffed; confused Megavolt lifted his arms looking at the handcuffs.

"Megavolt.. I .. I.." the officer stammered. "I place you under arrest, so please.. co-come with me to the police station, and we.. we'll just talk this over.. right?"

Megavolt swallowed as he looked at the stammering police officer and then sighed. "I'm really sorry, but I can't let you do that." He looked sadly at the officer. "The world has gone mad, thus far I am the only one who realizes it, so believe me when I say, I did not want to do this." And closing his eyes Megavolt zapped the officer sending the poor fellow down on the ground. Megavolt twirled around to take a run for it, squinting his eyes at the handcuffs as he aimed at the lock with his finger. "Come on, come on." He hissed trying to send a spark with his front finger as he ran; at last he succeeded, roasting the lock good enough for it to spring open but him not hurting himself.

Megavolt sighed. He had to get to someone who could help him! Anyone! His friends would be ideal, but Quackerjack was out ruled... the greenhouse! Megavolt needed to get to the greenhouse! But at the sight of people heading his direction…Megavolt had finally learned his lesson. He threw himself into hiding in an alleyway. In fact he almost dived into a sack of clothes, and after some shifting around he carefully peered out, now with a bonnet over his usual helmet, and as he fell out of the sack, some-how he was now also wearing an old worn out dress. Megavolt sighed deeply as he sat up leaning back against the wall, hopelessly resting his chin his hand looking out in the air. His mind for once, just in a complete and total blank.

"Are you lost? Confused! Find yourself in strange places while wearing a woman's dress! Then look no further, for the Liquidator has come to spread light for the dim bulbs!"

"ARGH!" Megavolt immediately fell over in shock, only to brighten up in less than a second. "Likky!" he exclaimed gladly by the sight of the watery ex-salesman. "Man aren't you are sight for sore eyes!"

"Whether the trouble is big, medium or high, Liquidator will sort it out in five!" The Liquidator said with a grand gesture.

"Huh?" Megavolt asked confused.

"For a reasonable price or favor of course." The Liquidator smirked. "Nice dress."

"Oh! Oh this." Embarrassed Megavolt looked down at himself. "I rather not talk about."

"Oh good one anyhow Megsy!" the Liquidator laughed. "For new and interesting ways to cause chaos and fear, look no further then Megavolt's latest scheme! I commend you for that one!"

"Which one?" Megavolt muttered, now also feeling ill at ease around the Liquidator. He seemed to be using that weird salesman's jargon exclusively now.

"So simple, just step outside in sunlight, and voila, instant havoc, why did anyone else think of that!" Liquidator exclaimed. "Plus in the middle of the day, so Dipwing Doofus is probably a sleep, he can't reach the place before we are long gone. All the fun, though none of the profit, the only fine print to the contract!"

"Who?" Megavolt asked. "No wait, urh." He hesitated. "What I mean is.. Likky this may sound strange."

"Buddie, anything coming out of your mouth is strange, guaranteed and certified." The Liquidator sighed.

"Yeah… okay." Megavolt hesitated. "Haven't you noticed.. Anything strange going on, people acting differently than they should, the city looking different than it used to, like, everything thing being wrong."

"How wrong?" Liquidator asked.

"I don't know.. just wrong." Megavolt told. "You haven't noticed anything?"

"The only thing strange I have noticed." Liquidator stated. "Is you right now."

Megavolt silenced and then looking straight forward. The water dog's tone had changed as soon as he dropped the jargon, and the tone was not at all like his normal, calm, professional mannerisms. "Do you always talk like a salesman?" Megavolt suddenly asked.

The Liquidator laughed. "One hundred percent guaranteed, the Liquidator can find what you need, and how else can he do that unless he is alwas selling selling selling!...even when he is actually robbing robbing robbing!" The Liquidator laughed.

"Stealing?" Megavolt asked. The look of greed on the Liquidator's face was obvious, especially when he mentioned robbing.

"Of course! How else can we five get the big bucks?" The Liquidator said, studying Megavolt. "Is your mind running away again? Are your synapse not firing right? The Liquidator suggests you get your act together! Besides the police will be here soon." Liquidator pointed out.

"I had planned to go to Bushroot's but I am not so sure anymore." Megavolt sighed.

"How come?" Liquidator asked.

Megavolt swallowed. "I'm a bit afraid to." He admitted.

"Man, you really are acting strange." The Liquidator commented. "Don't forget the meeting tonight!"

"What meeting?" Megavolt asked.

"All of us, the old storehouse at the docks, and don't you dare not come!" Liquidator demanded. "Or I will not be the only one who's really sour." He stated. "Write it down or something."

"So that's why you decided to pop up, to make me write down where we meet." Megavolt hesitated.

"Wouldn't be the first time you forgot, your mind doesn't have an extended warranty after a while." Liquidator commented as he started to slip down the drain. "And I would really hate to endure more pain just because of your dumb memory." Was his last words as he disappeared down the drain.

Megavolt shuddered lightly as he wrapped his arms around his knees. Quackerjack was wacky, but he was never sinister, but now he looked so… Like he truly wanted to be sinister. That smile had been too cruel, to mean to be the real Quackerjack's smile. And the Liquidator, he was like the parent of the group, always just a little caring. He certainly would never call Megavolt's memory troubles dumb, not when he knew how much Megavolt himself was afraid of some day loosing it and forgetting everything, because of his own stupid head.

He didn't want to go to the docks. Didn't want to see these twisted versions of his friends, but…hurt?

Megavolt didn't want to see any of his friends hurt, even if they were acting strange.

Feeling to disturbed to be humiliated he pulled the bonnet over his face so no one could see and peered through the corner where he saw all of the commotion from where he came from and then just collected the dress around him. He tried to sneak away as quietly as he could keeping his head bowed, before he just ran for it.

* * *

><p>Well, Megavolt was at the port, but which storehouse was he supposed to meet up at? Confused Megavolt looked around as he squinted his eyes. "Where is this storehouse?" Megavolt exclaimed annoyed spreading out his arms. "You got to be kidding me! Why can't we use the greenhouse that usually works fine?"<p>

"Because dear friend." Out of nowhere Quackerjack was beside him, laying an arm around his shoulder. "Negaduck hates flowers."

At once Megavolt's mouth ran dry. "Negaduck?" he asked confused. "Why-why Negaduck?"

"Wow you must really have short circuited bad!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "Our boss, Negaduck remember?" he asked grabbing Megavolt in his arm and gave him a nuggy.

"Boss?" Megavolt asked horrified trying to push the arm away.

"Of course." Quackerjack laughed. "We are the Fearsome Five after all."

It was like all air was punched out of Megavol, and he was stunned into silence. "Fear… fearsome?" he asked. "Why?"

"Becauuuuuse." Quackerjack chuckled. "We are the most fearsome there is! And both fearsome and five starts with an F."

"It's so wrong." Megavolt yelped. "So very wrong!" he pushed Quackerjack away. "WHAT'S HAPPENING?" he yelled. "HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD!" he yelled with waving his arms.

"Hm." Quackerjack snorted from where he laid on his back. "The only thing wrong here pal, is you." He commented dryly.

Megavolt swallowed. "Me?" he asked. "No that's not it, I'm positive, I'm fine."

"Oh really? I must say I don't like this new you. You're to ugg, serious, All though I do love the dress." Quackerjack commented. "There is something wrong with you." He gave Quackerjack a stern look.

Embarrassed Megavolt looked down at himself and then hissed. "Oh bite me Quackerjack!" he hissed tearing the dress off and throwing it away, then the evaporating it with a single zap.

"Oh my god, Megs is back!" Quackerjack cheered jumping up and down.

"I was never gone you nitwit!" Megavolt hissed sourly passing by with grumbling moments.

"Uhh, Megsy." Quackerjack smiled rocking back and ford on his feet.

"What!" Megavolt hissed.

"The storehouse is that way." Quackerjack pointed in the complete opposite direction that Megavolt was going.

"Oh for the love of!" Megavolt swore turning around with a sour expression.

"And that bonnet really sells the picture of the dreaded Megavolt." Quackerjack chuckled.

"Good." Megavolt hissed dragging off the bonnet. "Then why don't you try it?" he exclaimed forcing it down on Quackerjack's head before keeping on walking muttering beneath his breath.

"Man it's good to have you back Megsy." Quackerjack chuckled as he pulled in the strings of the bonnet. "I must admit I was a little suspicious, but heck, we all have our strange days."

"You don't say." Megavolt muttered more annoyed than ever, though annoyance was also the only thing just to keep away the dread.

* * *

><p>Megavolt swallowed for the time number one hundred and twenty as he tried not to show that he was shaking. He just sat as still as he could by the table on a wooden chair with folded with clinched hands his eyes fixed on his blue gloves.<p>

"So he did meet up on time for once." The liquidator in conversation with Quackerjack snorted.

"I had to point him the right direction." Quackerjack chuckled. "You would so have been too late and wander around aimlessly if I hadn't shown you." He grinned at Megavolt.

"Oh shut it." Megavolt muttered annoyed.

And apparently that was the right thing to say, because both teammates were now smiling and amused. Just in time for a third party to enter.

Megavolt almost didn't dare to look at the green frame, and his eyes averted down to the root like feet instead of the person himself.

"Hiya guys." Was Bushroot's first cheerful greeting.

And that made Megavolt life his eyes and look at the mutated plant duck, to sigh in relief, he looked and sounded just as his usual easy going self. There was a slightly nervous air about him, but other than that the gentle smile and friendly face was the same. It was such a relief.

"Bushbrain!" Quackerjack greeted with a big grin, and that made Megavolts smile falter once more, Quackerjack would never call Bushroot mean names, not ever.

"Quackerjack." Bushroot responded as if nothing had happened. "How is it going Likky?" he addressed the Liquidator.

The Liquidator shrugged. "Same as always, got caught last week and the prison finally thought they had a way to contain me, hah! That aquarium wasn't even air tight! One crack, that's all it takes for the Liquidator to return to freedom and his next big scoop."

"Well that's good." Bushroot nodded sitting down on a chair.

"And I suppose you have just stuck to the plants." The Liquidator sighed. "No branching out for your trees!"

"Of course, same as always." Bushroot smiled gladly. "My daisies are just about to bloom, I don't have time. There's too much trouble at such a vital stage."

Megavolt couldn't help it, he was just looking oddly at Bushroot. Out of all of them, the old Doctor was the only one being honestly and completely like himself.

"Something's wrong Megs?" Bushroot had discovered that he was being watched.

"Oh! Erh, no." Megavolt exclaimed looking the other direction. "I'm fine, nothing odd going on around here, not a single thing!"

Bushroot frowned slightly. "You're sure?"

"Megs is having one of his funny days." Quackerjack chuckled, plummeting down on his seat. "Complete memory drain this morning, couldn't even remember he had gone into my workshop."

"No I knew that!" Megavolt defended at once. "It's just.." and he halted. "Doesn't matter." He muttered. "Forget it." He had to keep his cool. Had to watch and observe. See what was going on.

"Oh Megsy don't be shy." Quackerjack chuckled. "We know of your little problem, we don't make fun of it…okay maybe we do, but only all the time!"

The only thing Megavolt could do was look at Quackerjack while his mind was still speculating.

"Guys let it rest." Bushroot at last sighed. "Leave him alone."

Again Megavolts eyes averted to Bushroot, his lip twitching a bit, sending Bushroot a tiny smile and an appreciating glance.

Bushroot blinked surprised by the gesture, but then returned the friendly smile with a thumbs up.

"ALL RIGHT GEEKS, LISTEN UP!"

Megavolt froze in his seat, his heart stopped beating and his heart chilled, no.. it couldn't be, slowly Megavolts eyes turned towards the door, and his heart sank all the way down to his stomach. It was _him_, a duck, wearing a yellow jacket, a red fedora and a black mask, his intimidating eyes and mad grin, only all too familiar. It was Negaduck.

And he was standing right there, right in front of them.

"Yes Negaduck!" Megavolts teammates shouted simultaneously, as Megavolt prepared to jump up and fight. He looked at his friends in confusion. What was going on?

Negaduck to sneered and his eyes zoom straight towards Megavolt. "So you have decided not to listen up, is that it dim bulb?" he drawled.

"Erh.." Megavolts eyes was darting to both right and left, until he looked wide-eyed in horror at Negaduck. "No..." he hesitated. He had heard that tone every time he had spied on Negaduck. It was the tone he used when talking to a particularly dumb gang member.

"No you won't listen or no you'll listen?" Negaduck sneered.

"What?" Megavolt asked his heart all the way up his throat and his neck sweating as it never had before.

"ANSWER ME!" suddenly Negaduck was right in front of Megavolt. He grabbed Megavolt's jumpsuit to shake him violently. "SPEAK UP SPARKY!" he yelled straight into Megavolts face.

"I'LL LISTEN UP I'LL LISTEN UP!" Megavolt shrieked almost cried, to find himself being dumped down on the chair, unharmed, not even bruised, and Negaduck assumed prior position.

"Now back to business." Negaduck stated in a very businesslike tone.

Megavolt was at a complete loss, it just didn't make any sense what so ever! What was the deal, the city was as nice as Megavolt could ever have dreamed off, Quackerjack was sinister, Liquidator was greedy and mean, Negaduck wasn't trying to kill him on sight...what was going on! It was like he was in a completely different planet, as if he had taken a stranger's place, as if he was walking in a bizarre alternative world, an-"AN ALTERNATIVE DIMENSION!" Megavolt shouted up before even thinking.

Suddenly there was silence, everybody looking straight at Megavolt.

"Excuse me?" Negaduck asked in a pleasant voice, which when it was him always meant danger.

"Urh.." Megavolt halted. "No... nothing." He swallowed.

"Well, I am pretty sure, that as I was so kind to brief you on my latest scheme, which you are going to be a part of tonight by the way." Negaduck told still in that ever pleasant voice. "You just shouted alternative dimension."

"Really?" Megavolt fumbled. "I... I did?" he asked. "Gosh, I don't remember at all!"

"Oh so typical!" Quackerjack slapped his hand over his face. "Megs, do something about that memory!"

Megavolt blinked and then quietly sat down looking down at the table, well one thing was for sure, his counterpart would have to be a complete wacko, burned out, over using his power, a criminal, electrocuting himself. If these memory comments were anything to judge by…Suddenly an icy chill went all the way down Megavolts spine and a horror struck his mind.

If he had somehow swopped places with a wacko, maybe even downright evil, incarnation of himself. Would his counterpart then be back in the other world? With his friends? What would they think?

* * *

><p>"I feel so responsible!" Quackerjack almost cried as he pulled down the two points of his jester hat, horrified at what was happening in front of him. "He said I would be responsible if anything horrible happened, why didn't I listen? WHY?"<p>

Way up above, on the roof top, laughing in maniacal glee was Megavolt. "OH I LOVE IT!" he shrieked in a mad voice. "The fumes, the lack in law and order, not to mention no stupid Darkwing Duck! This is my kind of paradise!" he started sending electrical zaps in all different directions, for no apparent reason, zapping the behind of a citizen, vaporizing a car, blasting the windows in a baker shop only to laugh loudly and clearly amused.

"WHAT-DO-WE-DO-WHAT-DO-WE-DO?" Quackerjack loudly asked his two team mates, who was standing right beside him, no more than a few centimeters away, so both groaned and covered their ears by the loud yell.

"Calm down Quacky!" the liquidator demanded.

"How can I?" Quackerjack exclaimed. "I've just turned my best friend and the best crime fighter among us into a raving evil lunatic!" he shrieked. "Although, it's kind of nice seeing him loosen up a little, that can only be good for him. And that laughter almost suits him."

"Quackerjack!" The Liquidator exclaimed sternly.

"Well." Bushroot hesitated. "Shouldn't we capture him or something, just... to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, and... make sure any-one doesn't hurt him?"

"What do mean if anyone hurts him? He's doing all the zapping!" Quackerjack exclaimed as he gestured at the place Megavolt had been a moment ago, but now he was clearly on the run.

"Imagine if Bulba and the police force get to him before us." The Liquidator hesitated.

"They... they would have to take him in." Quackerjack realized.

"Or it could be Steelbeak who turns up." Bushroot injected. "Then we would have to really work hard to even see him ever again."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Quackerjack yelled loudly, and in an instant he was all ready half way over the road in a full sprint. "Let's capture him and capture him fast!"

"You heard the guy." Liquidator nodded at Bushroot and the two were off trying to gain just a little bit to the colorful jester, though that proved to be a hard task. Quackerjack was running very fast, extremely fast, so fast that he would be a match worthy for the Olympics and rather than gaining on him, Bushroot and the Liquidator were losing him.

"MEGAVOLT!" Quackerjack was shouting on the top of his lungs as he ran. "MEEEEGAVOLT!" he tried again turning street corners, until at last the sound of screams came from his right and it was only to clear, Quackerjack had to go that way. "MEGAVOLT!" he shouted and saw a jewel store where the windows had been smacked in and the alarm was ringing on full. That street was totally deserted as the people had long since run away in terror. "Megavolt!" Quackerjack ran for the smashed in window, and there he was, true enough, Megavolt standing over the case with expensive jewelry.

"Oh my pretties." Megavolt sighed in a happy tone. "Come to daddy." And he aimed a zap at the case, making the glass splinter.

"Megavolt stop it!" Quackerjack hopelessly tried to stop his friend.

"Oh hey Quacky." Megavolt greeted without even looking up.

"Oh good, so you do know who I am." Quackerjack sighed relieved.

"Why wouldn't I?" Megavolt shrugged as he reached into the case and grabbed… the light bulb?

Quackerjack blinked confused by the sight as Megavolt quickly and very purposely unscrewed all of the light bulbs before holding them in a hugging grip.

"My little darling, snugly wugglies!" Megavolt cheered as he hugged all the light bulbs. "Time for you to taste freedom as well! No more captivity."

"Are you insane?" Quackerjack gaped. "And that's me saying that!"

"What's wrong with you now?" Megavolt asked with a lifted eye-brow. "Say, how did you even get here?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"What do you mean get here? I just followed you!" Quackerjack exclaimed.

"Oh well." Megavolt shrugged. "A helping hand is always nice, if you'll just take the jewels. I kind of have my hands full." He gestured at all the light bulbs he was cuddling.

"What?" Quackerjack asked disbelieving. "You are asking me to steal?"

"And that's a big surprise to you?" Megavolt asked. "Come-one Quacky, it's a fortune just waiting for us, which we don't have to share!"

"What?" Quackerjack exclaimed. "You should know, better than anyone, I don't steal! I don't commit crimes! I am one of the good guys! And so are you!"

Suddenly Megavolt stood still, as in absolutely still, his beady eyes fastened on Quackerjack. His expression looked mean, his mouth retrieving in a frown, and without warning, as if he had completely forgotten all about them he dropped all of the light bulbs so they crashed down on the floor. Megavolt aimed his hand, which Quackerjack knew to be deadly, straight at Quackerjack. "Who are you?" Megavolt asked in a serious tone.

"What?" Quackerjack asked. "Me-megs!" he hopelessly gestured. "It's me, Quackerjack."

"Absolutely not." Megavolt hissed. "You have to be an imposter."

"Megs..." Quackerjack hesitated before silently speaking. "Elmo, listen."

Megavolt blinked confused. "Who's Elmo?" he asked genuinely as if he didn't know.

"Elmo?" Quackerjack blinked. "It's you! You're Elmo, don't you remember?" he asked.

"Oh I had enough of this! And I hate imposters!" Megavolt hissed. "Good-bye, whoever you are!" Megavolt hands lighted up in blue sparkles just ready to fire, until suddenly, a great wave of water splashed over Elmo making the poor rate jump into weird angles as he screamed, sparks flying in all directions as he short circuited. at last he fel down on the ground in the pool of water, completely unconscious.

Quackerjack looked up and saw his two team-mates looking in through the window, the Liquidator with his arms raised, clearly having just send a big splash of water at Megavolt.

"You... you short circuited him!" Quackerjack exclaimed, horror filled in his voice.

"I sort of had to!" The Liquidator snorted.

"But you'll know what that does to him!" Quackerjack shrieked. "It makes him lose all his memories and stuff, he hates when that happens! It makes him defenseless he says! And you know the more he short circuits the more likely it is his mind would be in real permanent damage to his brain! He is terrified of it!"

"Permanent damage?" Liquidator asked with a lifted eyebrow. "You don't say." He glanced at the unconscious Megavolt. "I'm not going to apologize for this one; I did what I had to. I didn't want to see you roasted by our mutual friend, something I know Megavolt would never forgive himself for once he comes back to his senses."

Bushroot sighed. "Likky is right." He told Quackerjack before kneeling down and lifting Megavolts arm over his shoulder. "Better hurry, before the police come."

Sighing Quackerjack nodded lifting the other of Megavolts arms over his own shoulder. "Right." He mumbled. "Lets go." And they determinedly hurried away to Bushroot's hideout where they could safely hide Megavolt away.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the real Megavolt of the Friendly Four, now stuck with the Fearsome Five could feel the dread inside of him growing constantly.<p>

He found himself in a situation he could never have quite imagined, just about to burst into a big military like facility, surrounded by weird alternative versions of his team-mates, and for some reason, the only one not being opposite what Megavolt was used to was Negaduck!

And Megavolt didn't know what to do, he couldn't fight, then he would lose in less than a second. It had all ready been proven that he was no match for Negaduck but both Negaduck and alternative versions of Megavolts team mates? There was no way for Megavolt to win in this situation! He just had to play along until he could find a way home.

"All right Megavolt, do your thing." Negaduck commanded with crossed arms.

"What?" Megavolt twirled around to face his mortal enemy and greatest fear. "Wha-what am I supposed to do?"

Worried the remaining teammates looked at each other.

"Megs." Quackerjack moved closer to speak in a silent voice. "Blast the door apart."

"To this government base?" Megavolt asked surprised.

"OF COURSE TO THE GOVERNMENT BASE YOU DOPE!" suddenly Negaduck had simply grabbed Megavolt and now held the unfortunate rat out in front of him at arm's reach. "Use your powers, and blast that door to smithereens!" Negaduck commanded as his hand found its way to Megavolts throat and now squeezed it so Megavolt was losing all of his air. "NOW GET TO IT!" Negaduck yelled into Megavolts face before throwing the rat away.

Megavolt has to gasp for air as he took himself at the throat, for a moment having believed he was genuinely going to die. He fought the urge to blast Negaduck, as he had been doing for the past several hours. It was hard pretending to be his flunky…

"Be-better just do it." Bushroot carefully whispered to Megavolt in a shaking voice. "Or he'll just be really mad."

Quackerjack yawned. "This is the third time we tried to break in here." He muttered. "Why would it be any different now?" he asked casting a suspicious glare at Megavolt.

"The third time?" Megavolt blinked.

"Plea-plea-please." Bushroot now stammered, and Megavolt didn't like seeing Bushroot being that scared, not even an alternative version of him, it was to off putting. "His starting to get impatient!" he almost squeaked glancing at Negaduck, whom true enough, looked ready to explode.

Megavolt swallowed as he looked at the plant duck, who looked back with him with eyes asking him to just do it, and then at last Megavolt sighed as he slowly got up on his feet. "All right, step back." He demanded. "This could end up being a little wild." Megavolt told all ready loading up as his hands was sizzling with blue electrical energy. He could feel how his hair was standing up and his body buzzing as the electricity was building up for a go, and then he let go, the electricity soaring through his body in a way he rarely used it, it was accelerating, it made him want to almost laugh as the sheer power was in his control and his alone. He was always so controlled and precise with his energy, for fear or wasting it, and it sometimes felt good to just let it out. He saw the door blasting apart on his command, and then he ceased the energy, leaving him with the adrenalin running and his head in a dizzy spell.

"ALL RIGHT!" Quackerjack laughed. "Time to get loaded!" and the clown bounced inside, laughing all the way, the Liquidator following in his slithering manner.

"Come on lets go." Bushroot whispered at Megavolt. "What are you waiting for?"

Megavolt nodded as he followed the plant duck inside with the others.

"Remember stay clear of the left corridors! Those are where the laser lights are as dear Megsy found out last time, Now hurry!" Negaduck demanded. "Only take the stuff which is obviously worth a lot, carry as much as you can and clear out, then we divide up a fair share at the base."

"Meaning you'll take all of it." Quackerjack snorted as he rolled his eyes.

Megavolt still had no choice but to simply follow up the stairs, several times the group made maneuvers obviously previously learned, seemingly by prior mistakes, until they at last busted into what looked like a control room, filled with buttons and all sorts of blinking lights.

"HAHA! FINALLY!" Negaduck triumphed. "A clear passage into this room!"

"So what now?" Quackerjack asked. "Do we use the missiles to blow up the city?" he asked excited.

"Absolutely not." Negaduck snorted. "Takes all the fun out of it, for now, I want to make it suffer a bit. JUST TAKE ANYTHING WORTH SOMETHING AND GET MOVING!"

Megvolt's brow furrowed. Sine when did Negaduck not want to blow things up? Besides that, all these missiles could be used to take over a city or two. Why in the world would Negaduck only want the money?

"Hey guys!" Liquidator called from the other end of the room. "I found the treasure chamber!"

Quickly the rest of the four ran to the room, and stopped in awe, as the room was indeed filled with all sorts of artifacts... gold, jewels, gold-things with jewels attached to them.

All ready Quackerjack had happily smashed the glass case to where a big diamond was standing, the Liquidator was slithering upwards, to grab a scepter which looked like it was made out of gold and precious stones, from where it hang height up on the wall, even Bushroot was just grabbing loot and throwing it in a bag.

Right to his left, Megavolt could see a cranium, covered in small diamonds, so easy to grab as it just stood there. He had to take something if he weren't to be found out, Megavolt knew that. He hesitated slightly; just looking at the sparkling old artifact, then closed his eyes and turned his head around, as he zapped the glass catch with a little spark, just strong enough to shatter the glass. Then he looked at it, and there it stood, ready for him to take. Megavolt holding his breath, his entire mind screaming against this simple action, that he just shouldn't steal, shaking he reached for the thing. And then at last, grabbed the diamond covered skull.

"ALL RIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Negaduck yelled. "NOW CLEAR OUT BEFORE THE DOFUS ARRIVES!" he instructed.

Quickly the others simply nodded and took their backs to run out, and then aim for the stairs to go even further up. "Remember, don't take the last corridor, it is booby trapped." Negaduck sneered.

"Yeah, still remember the pain from that one." Quackerjack rolled his eyes, wincing slightly as if he could still feel that said pain.

As they reached the door highest up Megavolt very easily blasted the lock, against his better judgment, to allow all of them exit to the roof.

Outside it was windy and cold, the middle of the night, and Megavolt couldn't help but look himself over the shoulder constantly, trying to figure if there was some alternative, something else he could do, when suddenly, a new voice came, from far above.

"Hold right there."

Megavolt stopped dead in his tracks together with the other four. That voice…

"Oh no." Quackerjack groaned.

"Just what we needed." The Liquidator drawled sarcastically.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!" The voice began chanting.

Megavolt was scouting up, desperately trying to figure who this new person could be.

"I am the stick that catches in your wheel, I am!"

And then Megavolt saw, at the opposing building slightly higher up than then, he could see the silhouette. A duck with a cape and a fedora, a well known silhouette yet different. It couldn't be Negaduck! Megavolt could just see Negaduck out of the corner of his eyes.

"DARKWIIIIIIING DUCK!" the silhouette proclaimed as he fired a grabbling hook and swung into view, in purple cape and fedora he swung until he landed in front of them. "Fearsome five I see?" the purpled clad duck asked in cocky voice. "Up to trouble again, well to bad, because now the hero is here."

* * *

><p>Megavolt couldn't believe it, standing right in front of him, a hero version of Negaduck! Megavolt's lip was twitching, he couldn't help it.<p>

"Yuck! No you are going down do gooder!" Negaduck proclaimed pulling a bomb out of his jacket. "Down in shame!" he yelled throwing the bomb at Darkwing, who gracefully caught it with one hand to threw it straight back at Negaduck in time for it to explode, leaving Negaduck a burning crisp as he blew out a smoke-ring.

Megavolt had to hold up a hand towards his mouth not to chuckle, never could he have imagined his mortal enemy looking like that, but there it was.

"GET HIM!" Quackerjack then shouted jumping forward with Bushroot and Liquidator on his heels.

Darkwing jumped by the sight of the advancing supervillians. "YIKES!" and then barely managed to dodge the long vine-arm of Bushroot's, then the big slush of water that came from Liquidator. Until at last discovering both Quackerjack and Negaduck was going for a full body assault from each side.

Calculating Darkwing bend his knees, and then just stood there for what seemed for so long, before he in the last moment jumped out of the way so Negaduck and Quackerjack rambled straight into each other.

"YOU IDIOT!" Negaduck yelled at Quackerjack grabbing the jester by the hat.

"Haha!" Darkwing laughed triumphantly aiming his gun at all four of them. "Eat gas suckers!" he exclaimed as a gas capsule was released covering all of the four villains in gas which obviously made them cough and render them defenseless for some-time.

Fascinated Megavolt had been observing all of it, his intrigue and a strange form of glee watching with each past second, so fascinated had he been that his mind hadn't quit yet reached what would logically happen next…until the sound of a small voice down near his knees spoke up.

"I got you now, Megavolt! Surrender!"

"Huh?" Megavolt looked down to see a little red headed girl in a jersey looking up at him with a determined expression, an end of a rope held in her hands. He looked down to find that the girl had somehow wrapped the rest of the rope around his ankles. The girl tugged, apparently trying to trip him up, but Megavolt grabbed one end of the rope and jerked, making the knot fall apart.

"You might want to work on your knots." He said gently, and the girl glared up at him. Megavolt heard a shout, and he looked up. He gasped at what he saw. Launchpad! Negaduck's main bodyguard and muscle, charging towards him!

It was one thing to face your greatest enemy, try to fool him, and get you to think you are on his side. It's something else to face your greatest enemies hired muscle (who had personally tried to plant you in the ground like a lightning rod on several occasions), and keep a clear head. All Megavolt saw at that point was a thug charging him. Megavolt instinctively scooped up the kid, who started to whack him over the head with her fists, and blasted Launchpad back with a well placed bolt.

"MEGAVOLT!" A voice filled with fatherly rage bellowed, in an almost Negaduck like manner, save for the concern in it. "Put her down or I put your lights out permanently!"

"I'll kick your tail, you bast-"

"Gosalyn! Language!" Darkwing screamed, at the same time Megavolt said. "Hey! Language!"

Perhaps it was this moment that brought Megavolt back to his senses. He saw Launchpad struggling back to his feet, and grinned.

"Catch!" He bellowed, and tossed the girl to him. He figured that this must be this universe's Launchpad. Now that he could see that the man was dressed as a pilot and not as a thug, and that he lacked certain things such as flamethrowers or missile launchers. It was probably a safe bet. Fortunately Pilot Launchpad caught the girl, who was shouting at Megavolt like an enraged banshee.

"That girl has some spirit." Megavolt muttered as she shook a fist at him. "And a right hook like Dingo's." He was suddenly aware of someone behind him.

He turned to see a purple gas gun right in his face, and a hero who had just single handedly rendered Negaduck and the three other villains temporarily incapable, staring at him, with a satisfied smile on his beak. "Megavolt." Darkwing greeted him.

"Err…hehe." Megavolt swallowed holding up his hands. "Darkwing Duck, was it?" he asked.

"Really need to do something about that memory bank of yours." Darkwing rolled his eyes.

"So I've been told." Megavolt answered in a distant voice. "Several times today, if you just knew what I strange day I am having today… Darkwing." He added. "Darkwing Duck." He whispered, as if almost tasting the word.

Now Darkwing looked oddly at Megavolt, but still didn't remove the gun. "You're still going to jail." He informed.

Now Megavolt started to actually be scared, if he went to jail, he wouldn't be able to get back to his own universe and his own friends, he knew that much.. he had to get out. "Believe me, I didn't want to do this." He said. "And neither do I want to do this!" without warning, Megavolt turned raised hands downwards, and through them send an electrical charge straight at the masked hero, making Darkwing fall backwards, Megavolt however decided he didn't have time for that as he turned around and ran for it, jumping towards the next building, just managing to catch the fire escape with his hand. He pulled himself up to safety, just managing to look up at where he had come from, where the battle had continued again.

It was now Negaduck and Darkwing one on one, as Pilot Launchpad was hurrying away with the girl. The two caped ducks seemed to be equals, in so many ways... Darkwing was every bit as strong as Negaduck, and just as resourceful. But what was even more, he was winning! And Megavolt could not stop watching.

"Aww, so cute to stick around to make sure the rest of us got out safely."

Megavolts eyes shifted to right over him, where Quackerjack hung over a platform looking down at him. "Darkwing is winning." Megavolt pointed out, staring at the fight going on in front of them.

"Of course he is." Quackerjack snorted rolling over on his back. "He always wins."

"Against Negaduck?" Megavolt asked.

"Over and over and over, yes even Negaduck." Quackerjack muttered annoyed. "You should think with someone as tough as Negaduck, able to beat the heck out of the four of us, working with us, we would win just once in a while. But noooo, man this sucks." He muttered. "Of course the only one able to beat Negaduck turns out to be Dipwing over there, the yutz."

"The only one able to beat Negaduck." Megavolt mumbled to himself as he just kept on observing the fight from where he sat, not wanting to miss it.

"Man you are dull company today." Quackerjack muttered. "You are almost like a little spine-less sap, a wimp." He informed in a disappointed voice. "No I know!" he told. "You are almost like a goodie do gooder!" he told in a disgusted voice.

Megavolt turned around, only to squint his eyes at Quackerjack, this Quackerjack whom Megavolt did not like at all.

"Leave him alone." Suddenly Bushroot became visible up there at the same level Quackerjack was at. "We all have down days."

"Leave him alone." Quackerjack mimicked in a disgusted voice.

"Quackerjack!" Megavolt hissed.

"Fine, fine." Quackerjack rolled his eyes. "Better just too clear out before the two ducks over there are done, I rather not go to prison." He shrugged. "See ya next crime!" he greeted before simply just jumping off the building and fell all the way down where he made a summersault by the impact with the ground, to run for it.

Megavolt sighed deeply as he shook his head. "Finally." He muttered.

"Quackerjack is right though." Bushroot remarked looking down at Megavolt.

"About what?" Megavolt asked.

"You are acting really strange." Bushroot informed. "More strange than usual."

"How so?" Megavolt asked almost not bothering.

"Well for one thing you haven't called any-body any mean names today." Bushroot told slowly climbing down on Megavolts level. "Not even me."

"Why would I call you names?" Megavolt asked.

"It's what we do." Bushroot shrugged. "We are villains."

"But you are not really evil, are you Doc?" Megavolt asked. "I mean the others are, but you didn't seem too happy to fight."

"Oh you had to point it out." Bushroot groaned. "Look, I need the money, so I can grow plants, and experiment! Someday I'll find a way to produce another living plant!"

"And that's your goal in life?" Megavolt asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"To be a mutant plant duck is lonely." Bushroot shrugged. "And now you are acting very strange again, not like you at all."

Megavolt sighed deeply. "Okay, this might be quite of a gamble for me, but I need help."

"You're asking me for help?" Bushroot asked disbelieving. "But no one ever wants my help!"

"So you would want to help?" Megavolt asked.

"Of course!" Bushroot cheered gladly. "What are friends for?"

"Hm." Megavolt smiled a vague smile. "All right listen, and try to believe me. Just let me speak out."

"Okay..." Bushroot hesitated.

"Okay... here goes." Megavolt took a deep breath. "Yes you are all right, I am not really Megavolt!"

Stunned Bushroot stared, and then blinked.

"What mean is, that I am Megavolt, but not your Megavolt, I am a different Megavolt, we swapped places!"

Now Bushroot just looked at Megavolt as was he a maniac.

"From an alternative dimension!" Megavolt tried to tell. "A world, completely like this, but opposite! I'm actually good, and so are you! I mean the other you, my Bushroot, We are the Friendly Four, a superhero team and best friends, kind of like a family, Negaduck is our mortal enemy and we are fighting him!"

Again Bushroot was just left to stare.

"I can see this takes a bit more legitimate argument." Megavolt sighed.

Without moving a face-muscle Bushroot nodded, just looking at Megavolt as was he a nutcase.

"This is going to be difficult, oh let's see." Megavolt murmured tapping his fingers on his arm. "Umm…Well we have Negaduck." He hesitated.

"So?" Bushroot asked.

"Negaduck is Darkwing's opposite don't you see?" Megavolt asked. "Negaduck is from my place, he came from there."

Bushroot blinked. "Well, he did show up later than Darkwing."

"How long has he been here?" Megavolt asked.

"Dunno, about a year I think." Bushroot told.

"Strange, he's had his way in my world fine enough during that time." Megavolt pondered. "Somehow he must have found a way to go back and forth at will, damn! If I only knew how, I could go home!"

"Home?" Bushroot asked.

Megavolt nodded. "To my team, my friends." He told. "You know what they say, you never know what you got before you lost it, I really miss my friends right now, all of them."

Bushroot nodded, a little thoughtful then he eyed the roof-top beside them. "Uh-oh." He commented. "They stopped fighting, better get moving before Darkwing thinks to look for us here!"

"Where are you going?" Megavolt sincerely asked Bushroot who was on his way away.

"To my greenhouse, where else?" Bushroot asked.

"I'll come with you!" Megavolt stated at once jumping to his feet.

"Really?" Bushroot asked surprised.

"You are the only friendly face I had ever since I got here, please let me tag along." Megavolt asked.

"Well of course." Bushroot blinked stunned. "Just, follow me." He gestured.

* * *

><p>Back at the Negaverse, the three members of the Friendly Four were in what could be called a frenzy. Worst of all of them had to be Quackerjack as he kept on frantically stumbling around, randomly yelling his fears and anxieties. "I didn't mean for it to happen! HONESTLY!" why didn't I listen?" he cried.<p>

"Quackerjack snap out of it!" Liquidator demanded.

Megavolt had been tied firmly to a chair, his mouth gagged, but that didn't stop his eyes from squinting at them while sparks randomly escaped his body.

Bushroot hesitated as he took a step away from the rat. "Maybe it will be fine with time." He suggested.

"That has been known to happen." Liquidator nodded. "When he lost all of his memories and started panicking the last time, it did all come back to him when enough time passed."

"YES!" Quackerjack exclaimed. "He'll be all right! Just with some time! I know it, maybe he's all right now!" he pointed out leaping in front of Megavolt pulling out the cloth from his mouth. "Megsy speak to me! How are you feeling?"

"LET ME OUT SO I CAN FRY YOUR SORRY TAIL FEATHERS!" Megavolt yelled straight into Quackerjacks face. "HOW DARE YOU TIE ME! MEGAVOLT MASTER OF HAVOC… mmmrph!". Quackerjack had stuffed the cloth straight back into the rat's mouth.

"No, still a maniac." Quackerjack pointed out the obvious.

"Argh." Liquidator groaned messaging his temples. "And I still have no idea what's going on! Quackerjack can't you tell, from the top this time, and in an orderly manner what happened. I know it's hard, but just try."

"Yeah." Bushroot nodded. "What happened? Did he become possessed by a demon? Short circuited? Brainwashed by an alien…What? Stranger things has happened to us." He remarked by the odd look his two team mates were giving him.

"Okay." Quackerjack hesitated, and slowly walked back and forth. "There's not that much to tell really, I thought I would try to have Megsy unwind a bit, he's always so tense you know. But I know he has an affection for inventions, did you know that?" he asked the two. "Well he does, he loves tinkering around with all kinds of machines, so I took him to my work-shop so he could tinker a bit around, then there was this machine." He hesitated.

"What kind of machine?" Liquidator asked with crossed arms.

"I have absolutely no idea!" Quackerjack exclaimed with lifted arms. "That was the point of it! I had no idea what it was supposed to be as I built it! It was a surprise you know, for fun. I gave it to Megavolt, he tinkered with it and got it working, pressed the button, there was a big white light, it kind of blinded me, when I could see again, Megsy had been knocked out. I hurried over and tried to shake him awake and the moment he woke he started accusing me of tricking him.. Then he attacked me.. And then.. he ran amok, you know the rest." He told. "He almost hit me with that electric beam, that could really have hurt." Quackerjack swallowed rubbing his chin as if that was the place he had almost been hit.

"You're all right?" Bushroot asked.

"I'm fine!" Quackerjack snapped. "It's not Megavolts fault! It isn't! He didn't know what he was doing! He would never hurt any of us if he were all right! I know it!"

"I know." Bushroot assured. "Relax."

The Liquidator didn't answer however, he just frowned challengingly at the fighting rat.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Quackerjack asked the Liquidator.

"What would what I have to say possible change anything?" the Liquidator asked.

"You never saw eye for an eye, but at least try!" Quackerjack complained. "Why do you have to be so cold!"

"Quackerjack be quiet!" the Liquidator demanded. "Just because I don't panic it doesn't mean I don't care! It's called being professional and coping with pressure!"

"But!" Quackerjack began.

"Quackerjack no." Bushroot shook his head. "Leave it alone."

The Liquidator merely shook his head as he started to walk out.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Quackerjack called out after the Liquidator.

"Out to clear my head!" The Liquidator responded annoyed. "And I so hope that someone has calmed down when I get back!" he hissed in an almost angry tone.

As Liquidator came outside he sighed deeply, almost falling together in a puddle, before he straightened up in full form with crossed arms, thoughtfully sloshing back and forth, deep in thought. That was till he got company.

A certain rooster came walking up nonchalantly towards the green house, in his smart white suit and a smile on his beak, as if he had all the rights and reasons in the world to be there, just enjoying the fume filled day. "Well I'll be darned, Likky ol pal, how's it hanging?" Steelbeak greeted Liquidator with his usual smile.

The Liquidator lifted an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a hostile tone.

"Me?" Steelbeak asked in a surprised tone as if Liquidator had just said some-thing stupid. "Can't a friend go on social visits?" he asked.

Liquidator gave Steelbeak that look as he crossed his arms.

"Oh all right, I guess it's a given." Steelbeak sighed. "Apparently, a certain super-powered being ran amok in the city earlier today, and well, I am suppose to stop him. Now there wasn't any footage taken, because it didn't last all that long, so there's little proof, other than we know it was some-one with massive electrical powers." He told. "Wearing a yellow jumpsuit." Steelbeak looked squarely at the Liquidator. "I know it's here you pals hangs out, and I know you'll always stick together."

Liquidator frowned at Steelbeak, then looked past the rooster. "Where's the back up?" he asked.

"Back up?" Steelbeak asked. "What back up, I was just taking a stroll!" he defended.

The Liquidator lifted an eyebrow.

"I mean, if you just told me now, that you were with a certain... jump suited rat this morning, he obviously couldn't be the fiend, riiiiiight?" Steelbeak asked. "Because, as I can see, nothing is going on here."

"An alibi." The Liquidator suddenly realized. "I mean, how dare you accuse Megavolt, I was with him this morning! We where, ere.. helping Bushroot with his experiment!"

"Meh, I guess I'll have to go" Steelbeak shrugged. "So I can just go back to my high command, and tell I have you guys' word right? And that it's an incident not going to happen again, it is neutralized right?"

"Errr." Liquidator hesitated. "Yeah, sure it is... we have everything perfectly under control!" he stated. "Nothing wrong here! We didn't even realize there was something going on."

"Liquidator, you really need to practice your lying some more." Steelbeak stated a little dryly. "Be a bit more swave, relaxed. I should have thought this sort of stuff would come naturally to you, you know being a salesman and all."

"So just because I worked in selling I am supposed to be an accomplished liar?" Liquidator asked dryly.

"Exactly!" Steelbeak cheered. "Well, Likky, sure was fun running into you out of the blue, good to hear that everything is under control, because that is what you said. See ya around babe." He greeted as he turned around and started strolling back even whistling a happy tune on his way.

"Phew." Liquidator sighed relieved. "Well, that's one problem less." He commented.

* * *

><p>Megavolt was relieved to say the least over the familiarity of the green house. It was just as he remembered, with all of the big plants Bushroot took such good care of, the peacefulness, the thorny sharp toothed fly traps that seemed like they were starring at Megavolt… wait what?<p>

Suddenly Megavolts eyes shifted to those big fly traps, and they did indeed have large teeth, and they were moving! Swaying from side to side as if just waiting to take a bite out of him, quickly Megavolt moved away almost running into Bushroot in his haste to get moving. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Sorry."

Bushroot blinked at Megavolt, then shrugged. "It's all right, if you'll excuse me, I have been away from my daises all day, and they are a very vital stage."

"Ah yes, you said that." Megavolt nodded. "I mean of course.. I'll just hang around."

Bushroot send him an appreciative smile, and then immediately turned around. "Hey babies, come on out! I'm home!" and immediately, five cat seized daises came running towards Bushroot, all letting out grim growling noises. Each one had sharp fangs and claw like leafy hands.

"YIKES!" Megavolt screamed jumping backwards.

"Hey look at you! You've grown since I've gone!" Bushroot cheered sitting down on his knees. "Ten centimeters each I should think!" Bushroot turned to Megavolt. "They should be around three food tale by the end of the month!" he proclaimed proudly.

"Umm, he-he." Megavolt laughed nervously backing away. "What...cute little things."

"Yeah aren't they." Bushroot sighed affectionately scratching one of the daisies behind its leaves. "I'll actually hate to send them out in the field." He muttered genuinely sounding regretful. "But that's the life of a flower, they grow, they bloom and then it's over so quickly." He sadly stroked another daisy.

"What do you mean the field?" Megavolt asked.

"The university recently found a new formula to plant growth. It could maybe be the key to create better strong plants, and I really badly want a sample." Bushroot told.

"So you are just going to steal it?" Megavolt asked sounding just a little disgusted.

"Of course." Bushroot shrugged. "Only the best for my darlings." He smiled and scratched the daisies some more.

Just in time for Megavolt to have his legs knocked away under him as some creature ran straight through him. "WHOA!" Megavolt exclaimed falling down on his back.

"SPIKE!" Bushroot cheered just as a fly-trap ran straight into his open arms so both plant and plantduck fell down on the floor. "Oh Spike! Stop it!" Bushroot laughed, at last Bushroot managed to push the fly trap away, though still smiling all over.

"Oh, Spike." Megavolt smiled. At least this was normal. Then he really got a good look at the other mutants. "Wait…you've made other mutant plants...to steal for you?" He felt horrified.

"Of course I did." Bushroot told. "Doesn't your Bushroot?" he asked. "I mean, from what you said about your world I guess he must not be into stealing, but he must make other mutants, right?"

"Actually no." Megavolt told honestly. "I suppose, with me, Quacky and Likky always crashing in any minute of the day, company isn't something that he lacks."

"You sound like you are really close." Bushroot commented.

"We are." Megavolt hesitated. "I guess you could say we consider each other family. And then there are all the others always wanting some time with the Doctor. He's a very popular guy… for a mutant plant duck..."

"So there's another version of me, some-where else, who has so many friends that he barely got time to experiment?" Bushroot asked almost sounding overly excited by such a prospect. "That's...wonderful, your world sounds like a great place!"

"Don't I wish." Megavolt muttered sitting down on a thick tree branch lying on the ground. "The crime rates are astounding, most people in the upper class are frauds and cheaters. My world is pretty much controlled by scammers and they very well know it. The law doesn't really have a say. The illegal industrial factories take up the city, leaving it muddy and unbearable for plants. Negaduck has been killing off the few good people there are, normal people are scared, and that is not all that fun when it's all the time, every second of the day." And then he sighed once again even deeper. "Your place is so good and peaceful. I wish my world was like this! Really I do! It's what I am fighting for! I'm so jealous!"

"Then why do you want to go back?" Bushroot asked.

"Because my friends are there!" Megavolt told at once without hesitation. "Obviously."

"Funny, I'm kind of jealous now." Bushroot remarked in a deep sigh. "A lot jealous." He then admitted.

"Don't be, so you don't have a heck of a lot friends around here." Megavolt told. "And those you have call you mean names…no scrap that." He asked as he got up. "Your world can be so beautiful, it's nice and pleasant! You can do what you want, without being afraid of being really badly hurt, or see your babies be hurt all the time! You have it very neat! So don't be like that. Hell, I can't remember that last time I saw an actual blue sky!"

"Wow you sure are nice." Bushroot remarked. "Not like the other Megavolt."

"Which my friends are dealing with him right now." Megavolt grimaced. "I have to find out how Negaduck gets through dimensions so I can get back and explain!" he growled.

"You are not going to spy on Negaduck are you?" Bushroot asked in a voice which sounded genuinely scared. "Tha-that could be…very dangerous."

"I don't care! I want to go home!" Megavolt told a little sharply making Bushroot jump slightly back. "And something else doesn't fit." Megavolt groaned rubbing his temples. "Why would Negaduck go through all of that trouble, to find out how to get to the control room of that base and not use it? He just took mere gold, it doesn't make any sense." He complained.

"I made it a point to never ask questions to Negaducks plans!" Bushroot stated at once.

And now this Bushroot's constant fiddling and cowardice was actually starting to bother Megavolt, but still retaining a wish of not being alone Megavolt pushed it away. "Hm, back home that place is a highly guarded facility to." He commented. "They say there is stuff in there so dangerous it could blow up half the planet, or at least really mess it up." He commented, then he grew silent, and his eyes widened.

Bushroot lifted an eye-brow. "What is it?" he asked.

"I got to get back!" Megavolt suddenly stated. "RIGHT NOW!" he yelled. "Don't even have time to figure out how Negaduck crosses dimensions! He could be back there as we speak?"

"Wha-wha?" Bushroot asked slightly stunned.

"Don't you see?" Megavolt asked Bushroot. "Negaduck used this dimension as a test run! And you as his test subjects! To figure how to get to the control room, so he could do the same at my universe and gain control of the city, once and for all!"

"That." Bushroot blinked. "Doesn't sound too good."

"IT'S HORRIBLE!" Megavolt exclaimed grabbing Bushroot arms, shaking the unfortunate plant duck who was now starring wide-eyed at Megavolt. "There must be a way for me to get back and warn my friends, there has to be!" he exclaimed.

"May-may-maybe." Bushroot stammered from Megavolts grip. "How did you get here in the first place? Maybe if you did that again?"

"OH OF course!" Megavolt exclaimed. "Doc! You truly are a genius!" he cheered now hugging Bushroot.

Bushroot blinked. "Thanks.. I guess."

Finally Megavolt let go now smiling all over. "I think I left the device at Quackerjack's, so we will have to either sneak in or break in." he started instruction.

"Wow, wait a second!" Bushroot exclaimed holding up his leafy hands. "What do you mean us?" he asked. "I don't want to fight against Quackerjack!"

"Oh come on!" Megavolt pleaded. "I need you! I need you to help me save my friends! Maybe even my entire city!"

"No! I'm out!" Bushroot stated. "There's no way, I'll fight Quackerjack!" he stated. "Do you have any idea how crazy he can get?" he asked in a shaking voice.

"I'm starting to get an idea." Megavolt snorted. "And I am starting to get the idea of where you stand as well." He told in a coldly tone. "But in either case, I just don't have the time!" Megavolt stated. "Negaduck could be at that facility in my universe as we speak! Worst case scenario he could take the city, well not as long as I have a say!" Megavolt stated. "Goodbye Bushroot!" he snorted stomping outside, and then started to run, leaving Bushroot behind.

* * *

><p>In the Negaverse the Friendly Four were still in the same predicament.<p>

"Oh man!" Quackerjack almost cried. "It's been over twelve hours! It never lasted that long before! What was the maximum prior?" he asked.

"Four hours that one time I short circuited him." The Liquidator admitted in a grimace.

"Perhaps it's time to be innovative." Bushroot commented in a deep sigh. "What can we do?"

"Well maybe." Liquidator drawled in a sarcastic voice. "What started the problem is what is needed to solve it." He stated looking saying at Quackerjack. "You said you two were tinkering with some-thing, do you still have it?" he asked.

"Well." Quackerjack hesitated. "I suppose, but it would be back at my workshop."

"Then why don't you go get it?" Liquidator asked.

"But Megsy." Worried Quackerjack eyed the annoyed rat who was still mad as ever.

"Both I and Bushroot will keep a keen eye on him." Liquidator promised.

"Right." Bushroot nodded.

"So go!" Liquidator demanded. "The quicker you get to it, the quicker we may have this mess solved!" he stated.

"YES!" Quackerjack exclaimed twirling around running out and back towards his own workshop.

* * *

><p>Their own Megavolt had reached the evil Quackerjack's workshop now though, and silently tried to tiptoe through it, unfortunately it was very dark inside and Megavolt couldn't see a thing, he ended up almost stumbling through the gadgets, and twice he almost tripped.<p>

Before at last he decided to be sensible, and sheet some light by simply snapping his finger so the electrical charge worked just good enough to be stand in for a candle, and then he saw it, laying precisely where Megavolt had left it, unharmed. "Aha!" Megavolt triumphed heading for the device, only to discover that the button was missing and that he would need to fix it.

"Well what a surprise!"

"QUACKERJACK!" Immediately Megavolt doubled his light so now it filled out the room, and there the jester was, standing on top of a pile of deadly toys.

"Megsy." Quackerjack grinned all over. "T what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was just.. going to borrow this." Megavolt informed holding up the device. "And then I will be on my way, so if you just excuse me..." he asked trying to turn around and get away.

Only for Quackerjack, in one great leap, jump in front of Megavolt so they were only centimeters apart. "Why the rush Megsy?" Quackerjack asked.

"Oh you know me, always heading for the next big thing." Megavolt shrugged apologetic.

"What is that thing anyway?" Quackerjack asked as he without warning took the contraption away from Megavolt and turned it in his own hands.

"Oh doesn't matter, just give it to me." Megavolt pleaded.

"Oh you don't want this, it's just trash." Quackerjack commented dully throwing it up and down the air. "Why don't I just smash it for you… Megsy?"

Megavolt squinted his eyes, and then they festooned on the machine, which Quackerjack so casually threw up and down in the air, the decision was taken in a split second, suddenly Megavolt pushed Quackerjack aside and grabbed the device, turning around and took a run for it.

"HEY!" Quackerjack yelled. "COME BACK HERE!" he demanded as he started to pursue.

Megavolt half turned around, trying to send a lightning bolt after the Jester, who jumped up in the air thus dodged it, and then squinted his eyes. "I knew it, there has been something off about you all day, you are not the real Megavolt are you?" he asked. "The real one would never fight me like this; at least he would have an explanation."

"Look…" Megavolt tried the only thing he could think of. Maybe his double and Quackerjack's double were friends? That line certainly indicated that. Maybe if he said something only he and Quackerjack would know…"Billy, relax, what would your brother think?"

Quackerjack's eyes widened and he suddenly outright snarled at Megavolt. The expression on his face might as well have been pure bottled murder. "My brother! MY BROTHER! How dare you mention him! You SPY!" Quackerjack pulled out a handful of marbles and tossed them at Megavolt, who dodged. "It's PLAYTIME!"

Somehow that catchphrase was a lot less goofy when being bellowed by a guy who was not only a few screws short of a playset, but also possibly murderous to boot.

"Oh crude." Megavolt hissed squinting his eyes. "Well, now my cover is blown any-way.." he sighed and then turned around to run backwards as he took aim. "TAKE THAT!" he yelled sending lighting after the sadistic jester, enough that it blinded the street and allowed Megavolt to turn a corner and get out of sight. "A screwdriver." He gasped to himself. "Where can I get a screwdriver!" he exclaimed. Funnily enough, only one place came to mind, and Megavolt groaned as he had to back to Bushroot's greenhouse.

As he busted in, Bushroot was with his mutant daises and looked up, surprised. "Me-Megavolt!" he exclaimed. "Again? Or are you…I mean."

"Still the one from and alternative dimension!" Megavolt exclaimed. "Quick! Do you have a screwdriver, I have to fix this thing before Quackerjack shows up!"

"QUACKERJACK!" Bushroot exclaimed. "You brought him here?" he asked frightened.

"Well sorry! But listen to me! Life's are a stake, you can be a hero!" Megavolt told seriously. "Bushroot…Reggie…I've seen you stand up to Negaduck himself! You stood in a bank, just you and him, and you taunted him to his face. All to help us! I know that you have that same courage in you somewhere! Just help me now; I swear I'll never forget you! I'll be in your debt."

"I'll be like always having a friend in another universe." Bushroot hesitated.

"Exactly!" Megavolt stated. "Now I know this has been short, and you barely know me, if this works we are probable never even going to see again, but please, I beg of you."

Bushroot hesitated slightly, then nodded. "Right here." He walked towards his work table and then found a tool box from where he picked a screwdriver.

"Oh that'll do nicely." Megavolt sighed relieved.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" suddenly Quackerjack was there, standing up on a tree branch. "Don't help that man! It's an imposter!" he accused.

"HERE FIX THE BUTTON!" Megavolt exclaimed throwing the contraption to Bushroot. "I'll distract him!" he stated standing ready to fight his best friend.

* * *

><p>At the Negaverse Quackerjack had gotten back with the box and now once again stood in front of the four and Megavolt and the others.<p>

"Well…" Bushroot hesitated. "What now?" he asked.

"I guess we'll make Megavolt press the button." Quackerjack hesitated then walked up in front of Megavolt. "Here see this?" he asked holding the device up in front of Megavolts eyes. "This is what made you go all cuckoo, I am kind of hoping it's also going to make you better. I am going to release your hand, nothing else, and then you just press the button, kay?" Quackerjack asked.

Megavolt merely squinted his eyes.

"Yeah, he got it." The Liquidator stated.

"Okay." Quackerjack nodded and then carefully reached for the rope which tied Megavolts hand, before he finally loosened it to release Megavolt's hand.

Only for that hand, not to press the button, but aim a finger straight at Quackerjack, sending a bolt of lightning into him strong enough to send Quackerjack across the room. The hand moved to the rest of the rope, evaporating them allowed Megavolt to stand up and tore out the cloth out of his mouth on his own. "OH FINALLY!" he yelled. "I'VE BEEN STUCK WITH A BUNCH OF SISSIES ALL DAY!" he yelled loudly. "Boohoo this, boohoo that! IT'S PATHETIC!" he proclaimed. "And you!" he pointed at Quackerjack. "Going to make me all better he says, well I have you know, I am fine! BETTER THAN FINE! And I don't need fixing!"

"GET HIM!" Liquidator shouted without hesitating sending a splash of water towards Megavolt.

But this time, Megavolt gracefully dodged. "Oh no! Not twice in one day I tell ya! Or was that today." Megavolt halted. "Or was it ever…umm…was I short circuited all ready?" he asked.

"You mean you don't remember?" Liquidator asked.

"DOSEN'T MATTER!" Megavolt then proclaimed. "I'll turn you into a puddle!" he laughed loudly as he send a charge of electricity straight towards the water canine, so much that Liquidator was suspended in mid air before he fell down at a puddle, unable to move for the moment.

"ALL RIGHT!" Megavolt turned around to face Bushroot and Quackerjack as Bushroot tried to help Quackerjack up. "Who's next?" he asked in a grin holding up both his hands.

* * *

><p>"WHOA!" The good Megavolt barely managed to avoid the toy teeth send in his direction. "ARGH! That was close!" he commented balancing on a tree branch only for the Jester to charge in a full body assault, knocking them both to the ground.<p>

"WHERE'S MEGSY?" Quackerjack yelled as he pinned Megavolts arms to the floor.

"I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE!" Megavolt shouted back kicking Quackerjack away. He leaped to his feet and backed off a few paces. "But I am trying to get him back! Honestly!"

"Oh yeah!" Quackerjack snarled before throwing a bouncing ball after Megavolt which Megavolt was smart enough to dodge, and then dodge again as it jumped back. "I hate infiltrators!" he informed in a sneer.

"I'm not too crazy about you either!" Megavolt promised sending lighting straight at Quackerjack before turning his head towards Bushroot. "DOC ARE YOU DONE YET?" he asked.

"Almost!" Bushroot assured fiddling around.

"Bushy don't help him!" Quackerjack sneered, which actually made Bushroot halt.

Megavolt didn't pay too much attention though as he send another bolt of lightning against Quackerjack.

* * *

><p>The Good Quackerjack however, was busy also trying to avoid lighting on his own, as it turned out, Megavolt was more than a match for the three of them. Each time Liquidator seemed to be able to gain a form, he got a new charge of lighting. Bushroot spend a lot more time avoiding and trying to protect his plants than actually charging. This only left Quackerjack, who was still afraid of hurting his friend.<p>

"Quackerjack I don't want to say this." Bushroot whispered silently. "But I think we may have to..."

"Don't say it." Quackerjack hissed as they backed away from the advancing Megavolt.

"He's killing us off!" Bushroot pointed out.

Then Quackerjack's eyes fell on the machine, now laying on the floor, and his mind skipped to one desperate plan, one last desperate scheme. He took a breath. "Well, here goes nothing." Quackerjack swallowed and then took a leap to in one great swoop picking up the device. Immediately Megavolt was sending a bolt of light after the moving Quackerjack, which Quackerjack jut managed to avoid as he pulled a tennis ball, throwing it straight into the rats head, momentarily distracting the electrical fiend, before Quackerjack jumped up on Megavolt's back where he couldn't be reached.

"HEY!" Megavolt yelled. "What are you up to?"

"SEEMS LIKE I JUST HAVE TO FORCE YOU MEGSY!" Quackerjack started grabbing Megavolts hand with his own as he placed the device beneath Megavolts hand.

* * *

><p>"MEGAVOLT CATCH!" Bushroot proclaimed as he threw the device through the air which Megavolt caught in mid-air, just in time to dodge another attack from Quackerjack. "THANK YOU SO MUCH FRIEND! I'LL NEVER FORGET THIS!" Megavolt yelled back.<p>

"Well, if there is ever anything." Bushroot bit his lip.

"If you ever get the chance to dump Darkwing down in my reality, I wouldn't mind actually." Megavolt winked. "And if you somehow, someway come over, remember to drop by." He told before just as Quackerjack charged, pressed down on the button. At the exact same moment that Nega-verse Quackerjack was forcing the other Megavolt to press the other button.

And at both places a great with light for a moment disrupted from the device, momentarily blinding everyone who was near it, and the two Megavolts, for them everything just grew black.

* * *

><p>Megavolt groaned deeply as he laid head first down on the floor, he felt so sore all over, and he had the worst head ache in history. Slowly he opened his eyes, and was met of a world in green leafy trees. It quite frankly looked like he hadn't changed location at all; he was still in the greenhouse. Megavolt felt just about ready to cry as he pushed himself up in sitting position and then finally got to look up. There was Bushroot and Megavolt, right in front of him. Just as before. Megavolt slumped, defeated and squinting his eyes, trying to hold back any bitter tears. Vaguely he realized the two was backing away and then he looked up to see that the two were staring at him with eyes filled with concern.<p>

"Stay back." Quackerjack warned as Megavolt tried to get up.

Bushroot nodded. "Try and calm down." He said.

Then it hit Megavolt, maybe it had worked! This could might as well be his friends in front of him, and not the alternative dimension guys! He barely dared to hope, so filled with anxiety was he that he was shaking. But still, if he hadn't changed location, he would have to be in serious trouble now.

"Megavolt." Quackerjack hesitated thought apparently he didn't dare move closer "How are you feeling?" he asked sounding genuinely concerned, really genuinely concerned, which at moment meant a lot to Megavolt.

Though still Megavolt remained silent as he looked at Quackerjack, for some moments no muscles even moved in his face as he was thinking. "What are we called?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" Quackerjack asked surprised.

"Our team! What is it called?" Megavolt asked a bit more sternly.

Quackerjack blinked, and then exchanged looks with Bushroot before going back to Megavolt. "The Friendly Four..." he then said in a very careful voice.

"Oh my god." Megavolt drew a hand to his mouth as he looked as his two teammates, his two real teammates. "Thank god!" he added. "YES!" and he jumped up in the air with arms spread out. "IT WORKED IT WORKED!" he cheered. "Oh you would not believe the day I just had to day!" he smiled broadly at his friends with stretched arms towards them, but only for them to take an extra step back. "Guys?" Megavolt asked surprised. "Guys it's me! I promise! I'm back."

"Megavolt…" Quackerjack hesitated as if he didn't even dare hope.

"If you just knew what I had been through." Megavolt told sincerely.

"We might have an idea." The Liquidator stated a bit dryly as finally, from the other side of the room had starting re-forming again, but kind of slowly as if he was afraid of being zapped.

"No you don't!" Megavolt exclaimed looking at the slowly reforming Liquidator "I was gone, in another dimension, which was a lot like ours but still not, everything was opposite! The city was nice, the sky was blue, you guys! BLUE!" He halted and then shook his head. "There we were not the Friendly Four, there we were the Fearsome Five." He shuttered. "And Negaduck was our leader, I swear I have never been that scared in all of my life. He was so close to me, inches away, but he thankfully assumed I was my own counterpart." Megavolt looked up to discover his teammates were looking wide-eyed at him. "I'm telling you it's the truth! And here's the weird part, the weirder part I mean, the Negaduck there must have been our Negaduck, the same Negaduck we are fighting! He must have found a way to shift through dimensions at will, because.. he also had a counterpart!" Megavolt excited exclaimed. "As dangerous and clever as Negaduck but fighting on the side of good! They looked exactly alike except the colors. The other one wore purple, and he fought crime. He had no second thought or hesitation protecting the kids, even when it meant someone getting away. He defeated Negaduck, single handedly, and apparently more than once!" Megavolt told hope and happiness filling his voice. "And his name was Darkwing Duck!"

"That." Quackerjack hesitated. "Sounded just a bit mad."

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" The Liquidator said. "You mentioned purple Negaducks before."

Bushroot nodded. "How do we know you won't go out on another rampage?"

"Rampage?" Megavolt asked. "Oh." He realized. "You were stuck on my counterpart." He glanced at Quackerjack. "And don't look at me like that, yours was very nasty as well, he was sinister and mean, yours was only out for money." He looked at Liquidator. "Only Bushroot is so damn good through and through that even his evil counterpart was a nice good person…even if he was a bit of a pushover."

Bushroot lifted both his eyebrows.

"No really." Megavolt assured. "Yeah he did commit crimes, but only because it was the only way for him to keep on doing research in his plant house, and he was nice, he helped me, please guys believe me." Megavolt begged. "I'm not insane; I am telling you the absolute truth! That thing Quackerjack had me build, it made me swap places with my counterpart who lives in a dimension opposite ours."

Liquidator shook his head. "It's because I have been through so many weird things that I don't entirely out rule it."

"He sounds like he used to though." Bushroot pointed out. "Way more rational and on focused, plus he is not so nasty… But I am not so sure."

"Well, he hasn't attacked yet." The Liquidator pointed out all though it was obvious that he was bracing himself for any potential attack at the same time.

"I know." Quackerjack snapped a finger. "One question." He then demanded. "Get it right and I at least believe you! Then you are back!"

Megavolt nodded.

"What is your name?" Quackerjack asked.

"What?" Megavolt asked disbelieving. "What kind of question is that?"

"Your real name I mean." Quackerjack corrected himself. "The person you used to be."

"Oh. Oh I see, he didn't even remember did he?" Megavolt glanced at the other two then shook his head as he smiled lightly, as having decided it didn't really matter. "Elmo Sputterspark." He told in a shrug. "Wow, that's actually been a while before I even heard that name." he commented in an afterthought. "And you are William Quacker Jr., by the way…for some reason your counterpart really didn't like it when I mentioned it to him…"

Quackerjack however, practically lit up in joy. "Megsy!" he exclaimed in recognition running up to the rat to give him a big crushing hug. "It's you! It's REALLY YOU!"

"Whoa, easy there!" Megavolt choked. "You are squeezing all the juice out of me!" he proclaimed.

"Elmo?" Liquidator asked in a pleasant tone. "Isn't that the name of a puppet?"

"Hey hey, I do actually like my name, and don't talk to me about that…Bud." Megavolt rolled his eyes.

"There's isn't any puppet with my name on it." Liquidator pointed out.

"All though." Megavolt commented. "Elmo, Billy, Bud and Reginald just doesn't sound as cool as Megavolt, Quackerjack, Liquidator and Doctor Bushroot." He commented. "YAY I'm BACK" he jumped up to run for the window and look out at the fumes and the dirty streets. "My St. Canard!" he exclaimed. "Just as I left it! I have never been so happy to see factories spewing gloop into the air!" he turned around looking at the three teammates. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you again! ARGH!" Megavolt suddenly exclaimed taking himself to the head. "WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" he proclaimed.

"Wha-what?" Quackerjack asked.

"NEGADUCK!" Megavolt yelled grabbing Quackerjacks shoulder. "He is going to break into a war room and use the explosives available in there to blow up the city!" he exclaimed. "Any time now! But I know where he is planning to break in and how he is planning to do it!"

Worried the three teammates looked at each other.

"Look at it this way." Megavolt pointed out. "If it turns out that I am right, you know that I am not insane and really was on a trip to an alternative dimension, if not we haven't harmed any-one."

"Well that's a point." Liquidator acknowledged. "Still for me, this doesn't sound like a job for us, but more like someone with contacts and manpower, we should just warn them."

Megavolt blinked. "Steelbeak." He realized. "Brilliant." And all ready he was moving towards their emergency communicator, obviously wanting to make the call.

"Ah, I'll better do that!" Liquidator stepped in before Megavolt could reach it.

Megavolt blinked. "Why?" he asked.

"Ummm, it's just…If you are the one to call…Steelbeak might not.. it will look bad." Liquidator then at least sighed.

"Oh no!" Megavolt groaned. "What did my counterpart do?" he asked. "No stop! I don't want to know!" he stated just as Quackerjack was about to open his mouth. "It wasn't me okay?" he asked of them. "It was some-one else!"

"I knew it." Quackerjack nodded.

* * *

><p>"Wow babe, how on earth did you figure it out?" Steelbeak's voice sounded over the communicator which Liquidator was holding. "Some detective work I'll say. Negaduck came precisely they way you had predicted, you should almost think you were psychic!"<p>

All four Friendly Four members were standing around the communicator and now the three of them looked up at Megavolt whom smiled relieved.

"Told you so." He stated.

"Megavolt!" Steelbeak's voice sounded. "Is that you pal? Good to hear from you, and in such a sensible voice to."

Megavolt groaned. "If you say one thing more, I'll." He grumbled. "I don't want to talk about it!" he stated sourly.

"Gotcha." Steelbeak responded.

"Well did you get him?" Megavolt asked.

"So close." Steelbeak sighed. "The information was last second so we just got to warn the guards who were all ready there. They made it impossible for him to get through with the prior knowledge, but by the time I arrived he was all ready gone, but he is not going to break in there again, the entire security system is going to be changed!"

"Better change it a bit more often to be sure." Megavolt hissed.

"Well anyway, thanks for the help, it was most appreciated." Steelbeak told. "He could have taken over the entire city with those missiles! And I'm out." Was the last word before a click sounded and the rooster was gone.

"So you really were on a trip to an alternative dimension." The Liquidator remarked.

"That is what I keep on telling!" Megavolt hissed annoyed.

"Sorry." Bushroot shrugged apologetic. "It's just a little hard to swallow when we were so sure that we had you. I honestly didn't believe it that much until right now."

"I knew that was how it was all along." Quackerjack snorted. "I mean of course it was! Only logical explanation."

Megavolt shook his head. "Well, it's over now." He stated. "Kind of..."

"What do you mean kind of?" Bushroot asked.

"Well that other universe is still there." Megavolt told. "Only know we know it. And somehow, for some reason, Negaduck is still crossing the dimensions at will. Who knows, maybe someone from over there could come over here, or one of us landed there by mistake... again, by the way, if you do, just go to Bushroot and don't trust any of the other counterparts. Who knows what may happen." He sighed. "It's enough to get you a head ache." He murmured with sunken shoulders silently as he wandered away.

Immediately Quackerjack was on his way after him only to be held back by Liquidator. "Quackerjack leave him alone, look at him, he's exhausted."

"But." Quackerjack started before sighing. "Okay." he then muttered.

Megavolt sighed deeply as he looked out on the fume covered St. Canard, the smoke filled sky, the scarce people walking around looking over their shoulders.

Silently Liquidator sloshed up beside Megavolt but keep an safe distance, but still beside Megavolt and then glanced outside, at what Megavolt was looking at, which for him didn't seem like anything special. "You're." he hesitated. "You're all right?" he finally asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Megavolt responded. "Being in a situation where you are suddenly alone and friendless again really makes you appreciate what you got." He admitted. "But it was not all bad, this place really has an ability to be nice, very nice even. It was so bright and happy. I wish you guys could have seen it. But, even more importantly, Negaduck can be beaten! It's possible, so I think I took a good chunk of experiences with me which is for the better."

Liquidator hesitated slightly, but then at last took courage. "That other you he...he just wasn't right, in the head. He couldn't keep a thought in his mind, and he kept acting like electrical things could talk…there's." He nervously fumbled. "There's a real possibility something like that could happen to you isn't there?" he at last asked.

Megavolt shook his head. "It's not a possibility." He then admitted. "It's a fact and its started all ready. Sometimes things that should be clear and easy to remember is a big cloudy fuzz, even important things, that's why I write everything down." He reached down in a pocket and drew up a worn out book. "I got a whole shelf of these at home now." He admitted. "I need them, very badly." Megavolt sighed deeply. "When I was a kid, I had an amazing memory, I could remember conversations that had taken place weeks ago, word for word. I could remember the oddest little details from years ago. I only ever needed to read a book once and I would remember it, they called me the child genius. I knew and remembered everything, but that was a very long time ago, now even yesterday can become fuzzy."

"But it has got to be different with him and you." Liquidator pointed out. "His mind was holed as a Swiss Cheese because he kept on using all of his powers. He would even zap himself! You are way more careful and responsible than that."

"Look, Bud, you asked me once what I planned to do after it's all over, and I didn't answer." Megavolt sighed very deeply as if to prepare himself. "The truth is, that I do intend to see it through, and I will get to Negaduck one day. Bring him to justice, that's all that matters, but I don't expect to stay sane for much longer after that. Because, it's really getting worse, not day by day, but at least each month things get a little fuzzier. If I seem extreme and suicidal, it's because for me, dying in a big glorious bang that help the cause and makes a difference. That helps getting Negaduck out of the picture, while I am still at my best, is way better than slowly losing my mind, at least for me, I don't have that much to lose, it is happening."

"And water accelerates the process right?" The Liquidator asked looking down on his own watery hands.

"I'm sorry I was so tough on you in the beginning." Megavolt sighed. "It was never you personally, but can you even imagine? From one moment to the next, being robbed of all your memories, all that is you, and just not knowing who or what you are? It feels completely defenseless, only to find out when the memories return that one day it will be more permanent, and that day just became a little bit closer. What you happen to just be made of." Megavolt nodded at him. "Terrifies me, and I can't change that, it's just how it is."

"I think I get it a little better know." The liquidator nodded. "I'm glad you told me, but isn't there a way to stop it? What if you just didn't charge yourself?"

"I'll lose all energy, literately." Megavolt told. "I did try, thought it could be healthy to completely de-charge for a while, but then even as I was awake I was more a sleep than awake. I was completely drained, I didn't have the energy to even be annoyed, and I was just a walking ghoul with no life. As it turns out I just run on the electricity now, as much as I run on air."

"Oh." Liquidator murmured.

"Look Likky, two things." Megavolt looked seriously at his teammate. "One, this changes nothing, it's just the same situation as when we started out, and I don't want to be treated different in anyway. I don't want pity. I've handled it myself for a long time and I want to keep on handling it myself. I would end up really hating you if anything changed. Two." His eyes squinted looking even more seriously at Liquidator. "This entire conversation we just had is confidential. It's just between you and me, don't tell Bushroot and under no circumstances, ever, tell Quackerjack. He would have a fit and then start to be all worried and clingy and stuff."

"He thinks of you as his new brother you know." Liquidator pointed out.

"Yeah I know." Megavolt sighed. "And that's exactly why I don't want him to have the faintest idea. If it really came to it one day, I want to say it myself, can I trust you with that?"

The Liquidator nodded. "I swear to it." He promised raising a hand.

"If I could I would shake your hand, but you know." Megavolt smiled a little apologetic.

"Yeah," Liquidator nodded. "And it's all right, if I were a normal person again and you were made out of fire, I wouldn't shake your hand."

"So we understand each other." Megavolt responded. "That's great, don't take this the wrong way but I need to rest a bit, see you around." He mumbled turning around walking away, as Liquidator looked after Megavolt he just managed to see Megavolt opening his little book and drawing forth a pencil. He started at once to write, probably the conversation they just had in fear of forgetting it.

The Liquidator sighed deeply leaning against the window. "What a mess." He mumbled.

* * *

><p>EN: Again, props to moonbird for the new chapter. I hope ya'll enjoy two stories for the price of one.

Speaking of which, I am now going to do something…drastic. Give myself a deadline and make a Christmas episode! Can I do it? We will see.

_Hopefully for Christmas: Sometimes it doesn't take a grand statement or a moment of despair. Sometimes all it takes for a little Christmas magic is childlike curiosity…_


	12. Black and White

An Author's Note: Merry Christmas. I totally missed my self imposed deadline, which of course means only one thing. I need to make more deadlines for myself to prepare for the day when I might actually have to meet a deadline. At the very least I get this done in December.

Chapter 12

Black and White

St. Canard didn't have white Christmases. They had brown polluted sludge Christmases. They had black coal from the local factories Christmases. They had multicolored fuel exhaust from the tailpipes of car's Christmases, and occasionally they had red you really don't want to know what happened here, move along, Christmases.

But this didn't stop the citizens of St. Canard.

Lights were everywhere, making up for the dank horribleness of the slush on the streets. Lights everywhere, white, blue, green, red and every other color they could come up with. Brave souls braved the crime to stand in front of shops ringing bells. Carolers darted from door to door, heads ducking to avoid boots and bricks, but singing all the same for it. It was almost a game, this tradition. See how much fun you could have before it became too dangerous.

It helped that the single figure who hated Christmas more than any Grinch didn't even stay in the city in December. No, Negaduck hated Christmas so much that he used a good portion of his profits to run off to South America for the month, where he undoubtedly drank margaritas and bullied natives till he was sure the last light was off at home. This was, in its own way, a blessing, and everyone practically celebrated the fact that he was gone as much as they celebrated the holiday itself.

Indeed, even the villains themselves were too busy to bug others. Khola and Dingo were celebrating by themselves, with copious amounts of eggnog, Shush held its own Christmas party and Secret Santa giveaway, which for some reason always seemed to involved weaponry of some kind. Stegmutt stole a ham and delivered it to the rest of Negaduck's gang, who celebrated while their boss was gone. Launchpad took care of a certain child, but not bothering her when she watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on television. Yes, everyone was happy this season. Everyone was getting along.

"I've told you before, you are insane!"

Well, almost everyone.

"Santa! SANTA!" Megavolt bellowed.

"Oh come on! He's practically the patron saint of toymakers!"

"How did they go from It's a Wonder Life to this?" The Liquidator shook his head slowly. He always ended up freezing a bit this time of year. He felt his water crack a bit as he turned his head.

Bushroot looked up from the turkey he was carving. "I don't know. I think it has something to do with magic again. You know how Megavolt feels about that kind of stuff."

"Oh…" The Liquidator shook his head. "Does Quackerjack really believe in Santa?"

"I do!" Quakerjack said. "And don't you start that problem list, Megavolt! Do I have to say it again! Magic doesn't need an explanation!"

"What do you mean by that?" Megavolt shouted.

"You know, a little faith…"

"Quackerjack, really, can we not go there?" Bushroot asked. "Please. Can we just finish watching the movie and not fight tonight?"

Quackerjack sat down, almost pouting as the movie came back on. Soon, however, he was engrossed. He forgot all about his argument with Megavolt as he watched, and all to soon the movie was over.

"Hey, what do you guys think? I mean, if that happened to you?"

"What, angels?" Bushroot asked.

"Well, kinda, but I mean more that whole thing were you get to see what it would have been like if you were never born. I mean, just think…"

"Oh please, what kind of thinking does that get you? Stupid. You're were born, and there's no way to see what would happen if you weren't. Why think about it?"

"Just because you are an unimaginative clod-"

"I am not a clod! You live in a fantasy world you wacko!" Megavolt jumped up and glowered at Quackerjack, who did the same. The two glowered at each other, fists clenched and eyes narrowed in anger.

"Enough!" Bushroot bellowed, and Bushroot almost never bellowed, as he slammed the knife down on the cutting board. He had enough. They had been going on like this on and off for almost the entire month, on a variety of subjects. Bushroot suspected that it had something to do with the fact that Quackerjack always got…antsy around this time of year. He wasn't sure what it was, though he suspected that Quackerjack missed his father and brother. He didn't know what Megavolt's deal was, but he became more aggressive this time of year. Perhaps it was the snow. It was wet, and anything wet made Megavolt grumpy and ill tempered. Still, Bushroot had enough after a month of this. He marched over to the television room, as he had been using his lab to cook, and folded his vines. "It's Christmas you two! Could you stop arguing for just five minutes and enjoy the time together."

"I can't enjoy time with him when he's being like this!" Megavolt shouted.

"Oh yeah! Well maybe you can just find out what life would be like without one of us! I'm getting out of here!" Quackerjack turned on his heel and stomped out, despite the protests of the Liquidator and Bushroot (who suddenly regretted his shouting and stomping). Quackerjack snarled as he threw open the greenhouse door and trudged out into the snow, a place he knew the others wouldn't follow in a hurry. Electricity and plants didn't go over well with snow, and the Liquidator was already sort of freezing.

Quackerjack sighed as he left the greenhouse, annoyed and slightly heartbroken. Okay, so maybe believing in Santa Claus and magic wasn't exactly adult, but did Megavolt really have to act like that? People believed in a lot strange things. Why not a fey creature that spread happiness and joy? Gah, people were just so jaded!

Quackerjack walked with his head down, looking at the grayish snow at his feet. Everything, even things in this more greenish park, was covered with a line layer of gray sludgy snow.

He heard a flute.

Quackerjack raised his head and breathed in. His eyes widened, and a huge grin spread across his face. Ha!

_You…aren't thinking…this…_

_Oh, be quiet Headboss! I know you can hear it!_

_I don't believe it!_

_That's everyone's problem._

He had never noticed it before, but there it was. A circle of small white mushroom, untouched by the snow or ice, completely intact. No snow fell in the circle, and there the grass was an almost unnatural green. From the circle came music. Flutes, harps, and a few other sounds he had never heard before. Like the sounds of the wind and the trees made into instruments that could be played, but what these instruments could be eluded Quackerjack. Sometimes it was a like a blown instrument, other times it seemed more like a stringed one. Whatever it was, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

Quackerjack was no mage, no magic user, but he did read a lot, and he knew a fairy circle when he saw one. He also knew that if the music was coming from there, then the fairies must be playing tonight.

He stepped closer. It…was strange. It sounded so…Christmasy. He had always thought that fairies were more a spring or summer thing. Or Halloween. Still, there was defiantly a Christmas air to the music. Well, maybe the elves really did work for Santa!

Quackerjack leaned closer. This was something beyond once in a lifetime. I was once in an existence. He had to hear more. He edged closer, wary of even brushing up against a mushroom. That would break the circle, and breaking magic circles was a bit of a bad thing to do.

Surely it wouldn't hurt just to listen! It was just so wonderful! Music he could never have imagined. Surely there wouldn't been any harm in just listening…Yes he knew that fey creatures were dangerous things. Fairies weren't as nice as children's cartoons made them out to be. They were mischievous, and sometimes mean, and unless you dealt with them in the right way they could hurt you. But, he wasn't looking to interact, just listen. For a brief moment he could-

"Having fun?"

Quackerjack almost jumped, and whirled around. He didn't see anyone.

"Down here, chum."

Quackerjack looked down to see a…fox? it looked pretty much like a wild fox. Sitting there, standing just below his knees. It had black fur, instead of the normal red that foxes usually had in this area, and it seemed to be wearing a pendent. Other then the pendent and the black coloration it was a typical scruffy looking fox. I could root around through your garbage and you'd never see anything other than a pest. It was looking up at him with the strangest eyes. Normally a wild fox, or any wild animal for that matter, didn't look at you with the intelligence of a person.

"Really now. Most just don't sit there and listen. They either walk away or try to go in. Why not you?" The creature spoke.

"I wanted to listen."

"Really now? To music coming from nowhere?"

"It's beautiful." Quackerjack said. "It's coming from there." He pointed at the circle. The fox creature smirked at him.

"Funny."

"I try my best." Quackerjack said with a small bow. The fox creature laughed.

"I think I like you." She said. Quackerjack, now that he had listened for a few seconds, somehow just knew this creature was a female. She plucked the pendent from her neck and tossed it towards him. He caught it with ease. "Can you play that?"

Quackerjack looked down at the pendent. It had holes in it, and a little mouthpiece. He shrugged and started to play a little tune. It was not near as good as the music that came from the circle. The fox creature, however, didn't seem to mind. As he played a little on the small, delicate thing the fox creature's toes began to tap, and she was smiling at him.

It did not occur to Quackerjack until later that it was not a very nice smile at all.

"Little goat, little goat under the tree. Little goat, little goat can't see me" The fox twitched her tail, singing along with the notes. It occurred to Quackerjack that he had heard it before, but he couldn't remember where. All of a sudden and odd, creepy chill ran down his spine. He lowered the instrument and shook his head.

"I don't think I like that rhyme." He said.

"Don't you?" The creature sat up and walked over, on all fours. She began to circle around Quackerjack's legs, still smiling. "Most don't start playing a melody unless they like it. But not you, not you. Nothing normal is ever good enough for you, is it William?"

"How do you know that?"

"I know much."

"How much?"

"Enough." She walked away from him and sat down again, gazing at him with a pleased smile. "I like you. You've amused me. I like that. Tell me, William, would you like to play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Quackerjack asked warily.

"The kind that grants knowledge."

"What kind of knowledge?"

"The kind you know."

Quackerjack looked down at her. He didn't know what to say. On the one hand he was curious. He liked knowing things, and how often did one get to learn from a creature like this? On the other hand, in all the stories he had heard dealing with fey creatures always ended up being less then beneficial. But, then again…

"You asked your friend what he thought it would be like if he never was born. I can answer that, at least for you. I can show you. Would you like that?" The creature asked.

"Don't tell me you are an angel."

"I won't." She said.

"But…I'm not depressed with my life. It's not like that movie. I'm happy."

"But you are also inquisitive." She replied.

"Will I be able to come back?"

"There are ways." She said.

"Will I be in any kind of danger?"

"You will be as safe as you are now." She said.

_It's a bad idea._

_But…but…_

"I'll do it." He said.

The creature reared on its hind legs and held out a paw. Quackerjack could see that the paw was actually a strange cross between a normal finger and a paw. It looked twisted and mutilated, and somehow wrong. Quackerjack wasn't sure about this anymore, but as the creature snapped its fingers it was far, far too late. The creature had snapped its strange, paw like fingers, and the world went black.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack opened his eyes and gasped. He shook his head. The blackness was lifted from his eyes. He rubbed said eyes and looked around. At first he had no idea where he was, and then he remembered. He was in a world where he had never been born.<p>

It didn't look that much different. Same scraggly trees. Same blackish snow sludge. Same polluted sky. He couldn't see anything different.

"Now, William, what would you like to see first?"

"It's exactly same." He said.

"Is it?" The creature said. "Why don't we go down there and see?"

Quackerjack looked down at the fox, who was grinning up at him. He nodded and started walking, keeping an eye on the creature as it trotted beside him. The thing was humming, a strange tune he had never heard before.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Just call me the Black Fox. Most do."

"Not very original."

"Good thing I'm not technically an original then, isn't it?" She said.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

The fox stopped and pointed in front of them. "Look at that." She commanded. He looked up and gasped.

There used to be a sign here that simply read St. Canard. However, this sign was long gone. In its place was a new, almost pretty looking sign. Fresh paint and devoid of rust, the thing loomed over them like a malevolent tree. Compounding this malevolence was what was written on the sign.

_Negaland District One._

"No." Quackerjack whispered. "How…didn't the others…why?"

"The others? What others?" The Black Fox grinned.

"You know what I am talking about! Tell me!"

"Oh no, it's far more fun to let you play in your own time. Go have fun, little one. See what's happened to your precious city, and your family!" The fox threw her head back and laughed, a mocking laugh that sent a chill through Quackerjack's spine. The creature was then gone. No poof, no smoke no flash of light. Just gone.

_You shouldn't have listened to it. You shouldn't have messed with that thing._

_ I know Headboss, I know. How…how do we get home?_

_ …let's just go see the city. We can start with our family. Maybe…_

"Mother might still be alive!" Quackerjack gasped. "I wasn't around to kill her!"

He started down the street towards the downtown area, knowing his old home was on the other side of the city. He thought he could hear something giggling as he walked, but he put it out of his mind. He was going home.

* * *

><p>But home didn't look…like home. The place was intact, something was not true in his world, but it was so dark. Even if he wasn't around shouldn't his parents be celebrating with his brother? Why didn't he see anyone moving around the windows? He couldn't even see the shining lights of a tree inside the home, and father always set up the most wonderful trees! He could afford them after all.<p>

_You have to remember, Robert must be an adult now. Maybe they are not into trees as much as they were? After all, you were the one who insisted they set them up._

Quackerjack nodded. This was true. But still, he had to know! Maybe he should knock? Or scout the place? He knew that they would not know him, after all the movies he had seen he knew this much. But maybe a little spying wouldn't be amiss.

He began to scale the fence, but something grabbed his foot and dragged him down. He could sense motion coming towards him, and he ducked as a fist swung past him. Before he could do anything else the fist descended and grabbed him by the collar, and his assailant hauled him to his feet.

Quackerjack gawked. "Ro-robert?"

His alternate brother's eyes narrowed, and Robert pushed Quackerjack away. He glared at Quackerjack suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?" He growled. "You look familiar, like I should know you."

"Er…I…ah…" Quackerjack stuttered. This Robert was alive, but not the same. Instead of the business suit he should have been wearing there was nothing but a collection of rags. Rags that looked like they had been slept in, and those places that the sleeping occurred was most likely back alleys. Robert was dirty, skinny, and smelled like a mixture of bodily fluids and old beer. He was nothing like the proud man Quackerjack knew.

"Why are you skulking about? Who sent you?" Robert snarled as he shook Quackerjack.

"No one! I just…I was just…" Quackerjack shook his head. "Why are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside with your family?"

Robert snorted. "I don't have a family anymore."

"But, don't your parents live there?" Quackerjack asked.

Robert grunted and dropped him. He shook his head. "You're pulling a prank on me. Keep it up and I'll gut you for it!"

"Why would you do that?" Quackerjack asked quietly. "You've never been a violent man, Robert. Why would you hurt someone you barely know?"

Robert reached into his jacket and to Quackerjack's horror pulled out a knife. He stabbed towards Quackerjack, who reacted instinctively, grabbing Robert by the wrist and twist the wrist around so the blade was no longer pointing towards him. Robert lowered his shoulder and shoved, attempting to pin Quackerjack to the fence, but Quackerjack let go of the wrist, slipped beneath Robert and darted around his crazed sibling. Quackerjack pushed Robert from behind and slammed him into the fence. Quackerjack turned and leaped across the street, darted up the side of a handy building, and vaulted on said building's roof. He darted behind an air conditioning unit and waited, hoping that Robert wasn't going to follow him.

After a few moments it became clear that Robert wasn't going to be climbing roofs after Quackerjack. A good thing too. Quackerjack sighed and leaned back against the air conditioning unit.

"Well, that was interesting, don't you think?"

Quackerjack looked down and frowned at the fox sitting in front of him. "You know, you're not at all like that angel in the movie."

"You expected something like that? Too bad." The creature smiled cruelly. "Would you like to know why that happened?"

"No." Quackerjack glared at the creature.

"Oh, but I am still going to tell you! I'm having too much fun!"

"You think this is fun?" Quackerjack growled. The fox reared on her hind paws and stuck her sharp nose right up against his beak.

"You thought that by not being born your mother would live. But in this world you both perished. Your father, who didn't have you to put his attention on, didn't have a reason to become the man you knew. In your world he made the choice to raise you right, for her. But in this world, without either of you…take a few guesses, William."

"What happened to my brother?"

The creature looked at him, her eyes filled with amusement, a little half smile on her pointed snout. "You know." She grinned and vanished.

And she was right, he did know.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack wandered the streets of what was now St. Canard, aka Negaland District One. He grimaced at the name. It was pretty clear to him that Negaduck had, for some reason, won.<p>

_ But how could he? _He thought. _How could he have won? He'd have to fight the rest of the Friendly…wait!_

_ Are you thinking what I am thinking?_

_ I sure am, Headboss. What if the team didn't get together in this universe?_

_ And you think that it all has to do with you? Little hubris there?_

_ Well…not sure. But that is the only explanation I can think of. How else could Negaduck have taken over the entire city and renamed it after himself? I mean, I've read enough comic books and watched enough movies like this to know that things happen this way. You change one thing and all of a sudden an entire world falls to pot. Exactly like how that movie went, in fact. The guy woke up in a world where he never existed and the entire town changed. This must be the same kind of thing. if that is the case than our friends must be in different circumstances then they were in our world. We have to find them._

_ A point. Let's find them._

_ Agreed._

At that moment a building right behind Quackerjack exploded.

"What the-!" Quackerjack turned and frowned. He recognized the bank, or at least what remained of the bank, as debris fell through the air, accompanied by the sounds of screaming and people running. Quackerjack broke into a run and dashed up the steps, the banks was still mostly intact, but smoke bellowed out of the entrance as people fled. Quackerjack dodged a few running people as he shouldered his way through the door. He skidded to a stop across the marble floor and looked around.

No one appeared to be hurt, but broken marble littered the floor. Quackerjack's eyes landed on the vault, the door open and more smoke pouring out, and he snarled and rushed forwards. His universe or no, nobody robbed a bank while he was around!

Quackerjack ran in, palming a few exploding marbles to toss at the villain who was robbing a bank. The figure in front of him was tall and skinny, and it was very hard to tell who it was with all the smoke. Whoever it was, he was apparently holding a lighter and burning the money…for some reason.

"Alright! That's enough! Freeze!" Quackerjack bellowed.

The figure whirled around and a bolt of electricity shot out to strike Quckerjack in the chest, blowing him out of the vault to skid across the floor of the bank. Fortunately, after being shocked by Megavolt way way to many times he had started to insulate his cloths, so he jumped up and tossed the exploding marbles at the figure with a bellow of his signature catchphrase. the figure shouted at the marbles exploded around him, and dashed out of the vault, away from the smoke. The figure then reached out a hand and aimed another bolt at him, but this time Quackerjack was ready. He cartwheeled out of the way, to end up next to the waiting room couches. He leaped onto a couch and tossed a few more marbles, along with some razor sharp jacks. The figure was ready this time, though, and dodged the majority of the marbles, only to have his arm cut by the razor like jacks. The figure kept using the lightning, that Quackerjack dodged.

_It…can't…_

_ It has to be._

_ No! Headboss, say it isn't so!_

_ I can't._

Quackerjack growled and leaped towards his foe, pile driving him out of the building and down the steps. They rolled down the steps to the bank, and Quackerjack, who was good at this grappling thing, ended up on top, pinning his foe to the ground. He glared down at his foe, saddened, but not surprised.

"Megavolt." He said.

Megavolt was different. For one thing he had a long scar down his face, complete with eye patch over his left eye, and in fact Quackerjack found himself grateful that his alternate friend didn't have a goatee. If he did then Quackerjack would have been forced to burst out laughing and rolling on the ground, which wasn't good in most battle situations.

Alternate Megavolt glared up at him. "Yeah, let me guess. You're one of Negaduck's latest goons?"

That stopped whatever amusement Quackerjack might have had in this situation. He looked down at Megavolt and glared. "I'm no one's goon. I just saw someone trying to rob a bank."

"I wasn't robbing it. I was burning it. Cutting off Negaduck's economic infrastructure."

"I thought you were a hero, not a terrorist." Quackerjack said, anger flaring in his gut.

"Call me what you want. I don't care. You don't understand."

"You could hurt people! Innocent people! You do that and-arrrrrrgh!" Quackerjack screamed as Megavolt gripped his wrists and shocked up, the electricity coursing through his body and blowing him backwards. He could tell that had been a dangerous blow, one that might have put him in the hospital, or perhaps even killed him. It was only the insulated clothes that saved Quackerjack's life.

"I don't talk to scum." Megavolt snarled, the hate on his face surprising Quackerjack to no end. Megavolt lifted his hand and shocked towards him again, and Quackerjack had to roll out of the way to avoid the attack. He pulled out a jump rope and lashed it at Megavolt, tangling the crazed rat's legs and bringing him down to the ground.

Quackerjack heard a familiar sloshing sound coming their direction. He turned and narrowed his eyes. Yep, there was a wave of water flowing down the street, at a rather good pace as well. Megavolt looked up, snarled, and suddenly let loose with his electric powers. He seemed to be enveloped with his power, and shocked outwards in a wave of electricity. Quackerjack jumped back, avoiding the tendrils of lightening, and stepping closer to where the wave was coming from. He wasn't sure if this was a trap or not, but he landed lightly on his feet, ready to jump in either direction.

Megavolt stood, the blackened remains of the jump rope falling from his legs as he leaped and scaled a telephone pole. The rat turned to the south and skated away, and was soon out of sight.

Quackerjack turned his attention to the wave of water, which was forming itself into a familiar dog form. He kept his tense stance, however, ready to run or climb another building or do whatever it took if he had to run from his old friend. It seemed that none of his friends were the same.

The water finished reforming into the Liquidator, who looked at him with suspicious eyes. "You were fighting the criminal Megavolt. Why?"

"He was going to hurt people. What more reason do I need?" Quackerjack said.

The Liquidator snorted. "That's not a sentence that many here would say, clown."

"What about you? Aren't you one of this city's defenders?" Quackerjack asked.

The Liquidator cocked his head to the side. "I serve as Lord Negaduck's chief enforcer, yes."

Quackerjack jerked back. "You're on his side?"

"Aren't you? You just saved one of his investments from a terrorist. Doesn't that prove you are with him?" The Liquidator asked. "Trust me; it's better to be on his side. There are benefits, and it's better than fighting against him. Trust me, I tried. You could end up like that nut Megavolt."

Quackerjack backed away from the Liquidator in horror. "No…not you too. I don't know what is worse!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I can't take it anymore! You can't do this! You can't! This is wrong! No!" Quackerjack shoved past the Liquidator and ran. He felt sick, like he had just swallowed some bad candy.

Megavolt…Megavolt had become a lunatic. And the Liquidator…on Negaduck's side?

Quackerjack tripped over something, he wasn't sure what. Uneven part of the pavement. He landed heavily on his side, trying to hold back tears.

"How could it have happened?"

"No man is an island, they say. That goes the same for rats." A pair of furry black paws emerged from a fallen trash can and trotted into Quackerjack's view. He looked up to see the grinning Fox looking down at him with cold eyes, tail swishing back and forth.

"What have you done?" Quackerjack whispered.

"What you asked me. I brought you hear because you were curious. Don't blame me when the truth hurts."

"How did it happen?"

"You never gave up on that rat, remember? You were always trying to get to him, and eventually you did. You gave him a reason to keep his humanity. Without that reason he didn't have a motivation to keep his soul. As things grew worse in this world so did he and he resorted to hurting anything and destroying whatever he needed, as long as it got to Negaduck. As for the dog, he never found his son. He killed that man George that day, but it brought him no peace. He looked and looked, but he never found his little boy. Then, Negaduck made him a deal. He gave the Liquidator his son, and now the Liquidator fights for his new master, as per their agreement."

"Take me home. I want to go home. I've seen enough."

"You haven't seen it all yet. There is one more life you must see."

"Will you take me home then? After I have seen Bushroot?"

"I will take you back, when I am satisfied."

Quackerjack snarled and lifted his head, glaring at the smirking Fox. "And when will that be?"

The Fox grinned and vanished without a word.

Quackerjack got up and started to trudge towards where he remembered the greenhouse was.

_Let's get this over with._

* * *

><p>The greenhouse was dark and cold, dusty and unkempt. The glass was broken and scattered, and it looked as if it had been broken for a long time. Quackerjack could see little paw prints in the fallen snow that had blown into the house. Surprisingly not even the tropical plants were dead, but merely sitting there, covered in snow, but still very much alive. There was a strange feeling in this place, as if it was the one spot in the world that wasn't dangerous.<p>

Quackerjack walked through the place, looking at the plants. They had grown so big and wild, all of them looking healthy and green. He wondered where Bushroot was. The crunching noises his feet made where the only sounds in the place.

He walked the length of the greenhouse, which to him resembled a strange, quiet jungle. He scanned the trees with his eyes.

"Bushroot! Reggie Bushroot! Where are you? Bushy!" He called.

The trees moved, gently, slightly. It might have been the wind.

"Reggie! Come on! Please!" He looked to the side and gasped. There he was! Standing in the cinter of a bunch of bushes, just standing.

"Come on, buddy, don't just stand there! I want to talk…" Quackerjack reached over to touch Bushroot, but the plant made no response as Quackerjack put his hand on the other's shoulder. Quackerjack tired to shake Bushroot's shoulder, but the mutant merely shook back in forth, almost like a real plant.

"Oh no…." Quackerjack circled around Bushroot and sighed. Bushroot's eyes were closed, but they looked permanently closed. He could see the faint outline of what was once Bushroot's eyelids, but they had seemed to be partly merged with his face, making him look more like a plant. Quackerjack studied Bushroot's form. The root like feet were planted in the ground, deep into the earth. Like a plant. Quackerjack looked up and studied the face. It looked…at peace.

Quackerjack's lower beak trembled, and he burst into tears. He fell forwards, burying his face into Bushroot's cold shoulder, and weeping. His friend, who once would have at the very least responded, did nothing. He just stood there. Quackerjack wondered if he could even feel anything at all.

The snow feel on the two, and by the time Quackerjack was done his hat and shoulders had a small drift growing on them. He stepped away from Bushroot.

"I'm done. I'm finished. You hear me! Black Fox! Get me out of here! Take me home! Now!"

The only sound that Quackerjack heard was the wind blowing through the trees, and the faint sound of laughter.

Quackerjack looked at the ground, his shoulders shaking. "You monster. You won't come, will you…you still are laughing at me, aren't you! I can hear it. Fine!" He roared. "You won't let me leave?"

"Not yet…" Said a voice on the wind.

"Then I'll make this world better!"

"You can try."

"I will! I'll get my team back together! You say that I brought them together once! I can do it again! I will fight Negaduck in this world, and any other world I go to!"

"I would like to see that." The laughter grew even more mocking, if that were possible.

"Then just watch me!" Quackerjack charged out of the greenhouse, and back towards the city.

The Fox materialized next to Bushroot, and grinned up at him. "Such fire, eh?" The Fox laughed at the plant mutant and vanished.

A single leaf twitched.

But perhaps that was just the wind…

* * *

><p>Quackerjack leaped from roof to roof. He had left his pogo stick back in his world, and so he couldn't get around as easily. Still, he navigated his way around the rooftops very well. He scanned the ground and the horizon, looking for any sign of Megavolt. He wondered how long it would take him to find his friend. It might take a couple of days…but he didn't want to think about that.<p>

"Don't worry; go with the flow, Joe." Mr. Banana Brain said. It was very good advice. Quackerjack didn't think about the fact that he might never go home. Oh no. He wasn't going to think about that at all.

Quackerjack paused on a roof and breathed, panting. He has been running around all night, and he was getting tired. He sat down and stared around. For the first time he noticed that there was not a single Christmas light. Not a single bulb. Not a single spring of holly or mistletoe. There was also a suspicious lack of bells and songs in the air. There wasn't even the sight of a menorah or a dreidel out there in the gloom. Just the normal lights of the city.

"You can't even tell its Christmas." Quackerjack sighed and looked at his feet. "Maybe that is the point." Quackerjack nearly feel off his perch when a loud boom echoed and another building went up in smoke somewhere behind him. He turned around and frowned at the smoke.

"Megs, we're going to have to work on your newfound pyromania." Quackerjack shook his head and leaped for the building, which fortunately was only a few blocks away. Quackerjack landed on a roof that loomed over the parking lot of the building that had been demolished. His eyes narrowed at the sight before him.

he had no idea where the Liquidator had found a gun, but he had. He was shooting at Megavolt who was lashing out at the Liquidator in a reckless, crazed way that Quackerjack had never seen his friend used before…at least not his real friend. He had seen the_ other_ other Megavolt use this much power. But that Megavolt had been evil!

"He is not evil." Quackerjack said grimly.

_Wait._

But Quackerjack didn't listen to the voice in his head. Instead he threw himself downwards, right after tossing his last few exploding marbles, right between the two battling superheroes. Dust was thrown up as the two were charging each other. Megavolt and the Liquidator stopped and looked up, the Liquidator aiming his gun and Megavolt aiming his hand. Fortunately neither attacked, and Quackerjack landed between them, the dust billowing around his form as he held his hands out, stopping both of them.

"Stop. It doesn't have to be the way. We don't have to be this way!" Quackerjack shouted.

"Get away, kid. I don't want to see you get hurt!" The Liquidator shouted.

"Ah! That's a laugh coming from Negaduck's crony!"

"You're laughing at me! You're the guy who tries to solve his problems with a bag of tnt!"

"At least I'm not a tyrant's lapdog!"

"STOP!" Quackerjack stomped his foot on the ground. "This isn't helping! You need to stop this fighting!" The two stared at him. "Look, I know this sounds strange, but I'm an old friend of yours! Likky…Bud, I know the only reason you joined Negaduck was because of your son." The Liquidator stared at him, his face unreadable. "And Megavolt…Megavolt please! I know you always wanted to be a hero! This isn't you! You're not a killer and you never will be! Please…"

Megavolt stared at Quackerjack in wonder. "Who…who are you?"

"Elmo, please…" Quackerjack pleaded with Megavolt, who somehow managed to look even more shocked then before. Then, suddenly, he struck, zapping Quackerjack till the duck feel to his knees. Megavolt lunged at him and grabbed him by his jester hat, and then tossed him to the side. By this time Quackerjack had recovered and rolled, then jumped to his feet as Megavolt advanced on him.

"How did you know that? You spy! You-"

"LOOK OUT!" Quackerjack's face was a picture of horror at what he saw behind Megavolt. He saw the Liquidator, stalking towards Megavolt's exposed back, gun aimed at Megavolt. Quackerjack shot forwards, faster than Megavolt could react, and jumped on top of him, driving him to the ground just as the Liquidator fired.

Quackerjack looked up, time slowing. He could see the little bit of lead coming for his head, and he knew he could not dodge it. He had enough time to wonder if it would hurt as it slammed into his skull. Yes, turned out it did hurt. It hurt as it entered his skull, split his brain in two, and exited out the other end. He was falling, and as he hit the ground his head turned, and he stared into the eyes of his best friend, who was looking at him in horror.

"Sorry…Elmo." He had enough time to say that.

Then it didn't matter anymore.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack opened his eyes, and groaned. "Am I dead?"<p>

The man in line turned around and sighed. "Yep, sure looks like it. Come on; get in line with the rest of us."

"Death is lines?"

"Actually, this is Hell, and yes, it's pretty much an endless line, near as I can tell."

"What!" Quackerjack leaped to his feet. "I got sent to HELL!" He looked around. He appeared to be in a cave, a cave full of flames and lava and a few winged, red creatures that were probably demons. He gasped.

**Really, this is all highly irregular.**

"Hey, you didn't have to bring him here! But it's your job, stop complaining about it!"

**Really, after sacrificing his life like that.**

"Saving a terrorist that is bound for my realm anyway! Who knows how many people he'll knock of now! And do you know how much paperwork I'll have!"

Quackerjack looked over in the direction of the voices. There, standing just outside the line, was an annoyed looking, dog nosed, demon like creature with a cape, finger lifted and wiggling at another figure in a long cloak that hid every feature, save for the bony hands that were clutching a scythe.

**He shouldn't have died here. He shouldn't have been in that world in the first place. I already took his soul; I shouldn't have to do it again! What am I going to fill on my paperwork?**

"Ah, bureaucracy! Surely this is the ninth circle of thy ghastly realm!" Quackerjack turned and frowned evilly at the black furred creature that sauntered up next to him, then towards the figures. Both of the immortal denizens of the underworld looked down as she approached. "Through me the way into the suffering city,  
>Through me the way to the eternal pain,<br>Through me the way that runs among the lost…and endless amounts of papers to be stamped and cataloged!**" **The Fox stopped at their feet and grinned up at the pair.

**Oh, hello Fox. How have you been these past millennia? How long as it been? Four?**

"Five. You gonna take me up on that blackjack game?"

**Perhaps later.**

"Yeah, fuzzball, you know I'd love to just sit here and shoot the breeze with you, but right now that." The demon pointed at Quackerjack. "Is annoying me."

The Fox looked behind her, and then looked up at the demon. "Beezleboob, he's just standing there."

"It's Beelzebub."

"I know, but I like mine better." The Fox's tail flicked, advertising her amusement clearly.

"Yeah yeah, I know that you had something to do with it. I could smell you as you came off the dimensional path. Look, you know I hate cluttering up underworlds with duplicate souls. Looks bad on the reports."

"Well, then you won't mind if I take him, will you oh Lord of Flies?"

**He does fall under my power, now that he is dead.**

"This won't be the first time you made an exception, or is the rat not hanging around anymore? Or the granddaughter?"

**Well…I suppose. This is a busy time of year for me, you know. I'd rather not deal with the implications right now.**

"Then don't. All things come to you in time, old friend."

**True** **and everyone needs a holiday.** The hooded figure raised his head and looked at Quackerjack, who could only see a pair of glowing blue eyes. **This is the season after all. Take him, Fox. I'll see if I can work out that game.**

"Thanks, you have a problem with this, Beez?" The fox looked at the demon.

Beelzebub shrugged. "Whatever. I'd rather not deal with those ducks at the moment. You won't believe the garbage I went through with that Drake character. Take him and go."

"I will." The Fox walked back towards Quackerjack, who stared at her in awe.

"Did you just talk down Death and the Devil?" Asked the man in front of Quackerjack.

"We're old pals." The Fox said.

"Can you do the same for me?" As the man.

"No." The Fox looked at Quackerjack. "Care to go?"

"I don't…I…" Quackerjack shook his head.

"Do you really want to stay with Death and the Boob?"

"No…"

The Fox grinned, reared up on her hind legs, and snapped her fingers.

Everything went white.

* * *

><p>Quackerjack blinked. All of a sudden the fires and smoke were gone. In their place was a hill, a wide, snowy hill that seemed to be floating in the darkness of the stars. Above him was a single huge, shining white star. It glittered and shone, and seemed to be trying to almost…point to something. Something deep in the void.<p>

"I admit, that was interesting. Nice and dramatic and all that."

Quackerjack turned his head and eyed the Black Fox. "Why?"

"Hmmmm? Full sentences, boy. You have the brain stem for it."

"That was hell…wasn't it?"

"Is that what you think it was?" The Black Fox smirked, and her glinting eyes seemed to mock Quackerjack.

"I…what else could it be?" Quackerjack said.

"What do you think?"

"Will you stop talking in circles?" Quackerjack stamped. "It's annoying!"

The Black Fox's smile grew wider, and she looked up at the sky. "It's a funny thing, isn't it? You gave your life for a creature that hated you. Would have killed you."

"I couldn't let Megavolt die! He's my friend!"

"That wasn't your Megavolt."

"It doesn't matter! He's still my friend!"

"You know, it's a funny thing, you mortals. You sentient mortals, I mean." The Black Fox lifted her bizarre, part hand part paw appendage, and tapped the air in front of them. Black ripples stirred in the air like water, and Quackerjack could see in the center, like a picture in a pond. A wolf lunging at a deer. The deer turned and ran, fleet of foot and strong of leg, and the wolf was left far behind. "Natural selection." The Fox continued as the drama played out. "The things that run away, that back down and flee, live. They get to pass on that gene, that little cowardice gene that lurks in all of you. But the ones that stand and fight…" The drama shifted, as a stag challenged the wolf, which brought it down with a single blow. "Are less then fortunate. Yet…"

The scene in the air shifted, a knight astride a white horse, lance lowered, charged at a fierce red dragon. "Yet it is the knight that charges the dragon, even knowing he will lose, who is told of in songs and stories. He dies, but he lives on, and the people want to be like him. More knights are born with his ideals, and then a funny thing happens…"

"What?" Quackerjack asked quietly, almost to quiet to hear.

For the first time, the Black Fox's face did not have that mocking smile, nor did her tone have that slight sarcastic edge. "Eventually the knights of the first knight's order swarm the dragon like flies, and, despite all the odds, they beat him." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter what race. Duck or human or orc or saurian or anything in between. No matter how prone the species is to treachery, deceit and cruelty. No matter how dark the universe there is always a group to stupid and brave and damn hopeful that they can't help but charge the dragon. And, for some reason, they are one of the great Constants of the universe. Natural selection can't just select them out. The laws of science that govern most universes don't govern them. They live, _in spite_ of the universe."

"A constant?" Quackerjack said, his mind whirling with this information.

"Constants." The Black Fox nodded, and she almost seemed to be approaching benevolence. Quackerjack wondered at the strange change. This being had tossed him into a world worse than his one. Teased him, mocked him, and laughed as he suffered. And yet, now she seemed almost…kind.

"Listen, William. What do you hear?"

Quackerjack listened. "I don't hear anything."

"Constants." The Fox said. "In every universe, in every world, at the exact same hour, at the exact same time, the universe stops. You call it Christmas, but it is called many things. It happens everywhere, for every race." She turned and looked at him. "And it's all the same thing, the same kind of peace. For example the universe that your friend Megavolt traveled to: Right now in that universe a father is tucking his daughter to bed. They are not related by blood, and indeed they have only known each other a short time. Yet he would die for her and she would die for him. A typical situation, really. In the same universe three young triplets try to please their curmudgeonly old uncle, and though he will never admit they succeed. Their love is rooted in his heart like intrusive fungi, and it's not going anywhere. A duck who is both uncle and nephew gets a card, and he wonders why he wanted to see the world at all, when his world is waiting for him at home."

The Fox's eyes turned to the sky, and she continued. "In another universe, at the exact same time, five child soldiers try to teach their alien comrade about Christmas, and he does not understand. But he does eat three fruit cakes, a dozen Christmas cookies, and an entire gingerbread house. In yet another universe a boy who has never known love or family since he was one year old gets more gifts then he ever had in a lifetime, and on that same day he receives his birthright as well. In yet another a group of cat warriors who have never seen a Christmas tree in their lives, much less know what it means, are still. Even though they don't have Christmas they can still sense the power of this night. In another a boy with a golden puzzle heeds the call of the ghost that haunts him, and they celebrate together, for the ghost is the best friend the boy ever had. A traveler through time and space, a god even lonelier then I, enjoys a special night with his friends. At the hour he will briefly reflect on those he had left behind, but as soon as it is gone he will again flee into time." The Fox shook her head. "Constants."

"I think I understand."

"Do you? Do you understand how odd it is? That every year, for one point in time the mulitverse just stops? Even the most warlike race in the multiverse will stop what they are doing, and for a brief moment be still and just…be. It's like reality has just taken a breath."

Quackerjack smiled. Despite all that had happened, despite all that he had seen, those words gave him hope.

At least until the Black Fox leaned forwards again, her smile once again growing mocking. "You wanted to know why you went there." She said. "Did you know that you are a universal constant as well? It's possible that a mortal can be a constant. Do you want to know what you are?"

"What…what I am?"

The Black Fox reached forwards and plucked a feather from Quackerjack's neck. She grinned and held it in front of his face. "Look."

He squinted at the feather, and it appeared to come closer and closer, like a microscope. A shiver ran down his spine.

_Billy…wait…something isn't right…_

Quackerjack gasped and drew back. He knew what those were, crawling like ants on his feather, microscopic and tiny, but there all the same. The little building blocks of good and evil, called trons.

Crawling all over that once single feather, was almost a hundred little negatrons, and only one or two stray positrons.

"No!" Quackerjack shook his head. "No, you faked that!"

"Did I?" The Black Fox chuckled. "You are almost completely made of what your kind calls negatrons. Not even the one you call Negaduck is composed of this number." She grinned at him. "It's the truth."

"I-it can't be."

The Black Fox leaned closer. "By the time you realize the truth, it will be too late for you. The darkness behind your eyes will win."

"No…"

"I would say sorry, but I'm not. Not sorry at all. You have a duty to fulfill, and you aren't going to like it. So, I guess you might have to back to you little corner of the universe." The Black Fox placed a paw on Quackerjack's chest, and then lightly shoved. "Have a white Christmas!"

Quackerjack felt something thud deep in his chest, and he was falling, falling through the snow and down, down into the void. He could see the Black Fox standing in the void, growing smaller as he fell.

She was smiling.

* * *

><p>"Quackerjack! You okay! Wake up!"<p>

"Quackerjack opened his eyes and shouted. His arms shot out and he wrapped them around the long skinny neck of a certain plant mutant, who seemed mildly surprised by all this.

"What happened? We found you in the snow! Are you okay, Quacky?"

Quackerjack looked at Megavolt, who was standing beside them looking slightly miserable. On the other side was the Liquidator, still with a bit of frozen slush to his form. They all looked worried, staring at him with concern.

Quackerjack looked from one to the other. To Bushroot, who was still caught between animal and plant. At the Liquidator, who still searched for his son. At Megavolt, who was…Megavolt.

He saw the tattered figure of his brother in his mind. And after a long while, he shook his head.

"I…had a bad dream." He said.

"I thought you don't remember your dreams?" Megavolt asked.

"I won't forget this one." Quackerjack said.

The Liquidator smiled. "I know something sure to cheer you up!" He slushed over to the door of the greenhouse and opened it. "Take a look! A genuine Christmas miracle"

Quackerjack got up and walked over to him. He noted briefly that it had been a plant supporting him. He made a note to thank it later. He stood beside the Liquidator and looked out.

The entire world was covered in white. Clean, fresh, wonderful white. Not a single bit of black or brown or grey or even yellow marred the prefect beauty of the white snow. And, it was still falling, little drops of crystal falling on the ground, and not a single one polluted or browned.

"I wish I knew what was causing it! I mean, atmospheric phenomena like this…" Megavolt came up and frowned at the snow, as if it had done him a personal offense. His brow furrowed as he glared at the blinding whiteness.

Quackerjack grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Megs, sometimes you shouldn't question the wonders of this world, no matter how strange they are?"

"Huh?"

"Sometimes, it's just better not to know." Quackerjack's smile quivered. "Sometimes, it's better just to wonder…

Quackerjack stared out into the park, and, there, right under the branches of a little dying bush, a pair of perfect fox paw prints graced the surface of the brilliant white snow.

* * *

><p>AN: I know that a dreidel is small, mostly because I lived in a Jewish neighborhood growing up, and I somehow managed to obtain a dreidel at school when I was a kid. Loved that thing. I'm not Jewish myself, and neither is my family, but they didn't seem to mind its presence. What I meant by saying that Quacky couldn't see a dreidel was because sometimes in my neighborhood instead of arranging lights in the shapes of crosses or Santa's they would have lights in the shape of dreidels, which was always cool.

And yes, the Black Fox quoted Dante's Divine Comedy up there. She actually turned out a lot more benevolent in this then how she usually is. Blame Christmas I guess. Melts everyone's hearts…unless you are Negaduck.

_Next time: A villain centric episode! Negaduck's grip on the city is tightening, but the old guard isn't ready to give it up yet. There is another crime boss out there, and he's not letting go of his territory that easy. But when the gauntlet is thrown who will come out on top? Negaduck the young upstart or the old fighter he has challenged? _

_Whoever wins, the city will lose…_


	13. Thy Kingdom

Chapter 13

Thy Kingdom

It was a dark, gloomy night. Torrents of rain pattering down on the cold streets. It was a freezing, hard rain, a rain that pretty much would cause anyone with half a brain to take cover and stay inside.

Unfortunately when one worked for Negaduck things like common sense had to take back seat to satisfying the desires of the loony you worked for.

"Is this even going to work?"

Lamont looked up. Very very up. The two or so ton dinosaur that, for some reason, was part of the gang glared down at Lamont with sheer hostility. That was fine. Lamont didn't like Stegmutt either.

"It'll work." Lamont deliberately turned away from the dinosaur hovering over him to stare at the gas station across from him. He sneered as he felt Stegmutt lower his head down towards him. Lamont didn't trust the dinosaur. Didn't trust anyone in the gang, really. They would all stab you in the back if they thought it would please Negaduck, who very much favored the ruthless and cunning. Hell, only reason that Lamont held the position of second as he did was because, while not the best fighter, he was the most aware of his surroundings. It was true that Launchpad was a better fighter, but he was also dumb as a brick, and content to remain as bodyguard, rather then help actually run the place. No, Lamont did all of that. Had been doing it since Negaduck had came to his hideout that night, all those years ago.

Sometimes he wished he had shot Negaduck in the head right then. Or, even better, when the pair had been kids. Sometimes he would think about that disaster of a hit on the music store, and wonder how much Negaduck had been responsible for his older brother's demise. Sometimes he just wanted to kill the bastard and be done with it. Skip town and find something else to do with himself. But, he knew he would fail. Negaduck would not be beaten. Better to back the winning horse.

But, bad time for this. The mission.

"Don't worry." The canine said, making sure to keep his tone light and friendly. No need to have the dinosaur hate him even more. Just because he didn't trust anyone in the gang didn't mean that said gang needed to know this. "Ace is old and his men are starting to lose faith in him. All we need to do is secure this block, and he'll be forced to retreat. He might even pull the rest of his men back to his main turf, to keep it better protected."

Stegmutt shrugged. "If you say so. I remember when I was a kid. Ace's gang controlled the entire area. Hell, even my dad had to pay his protection money. And he was controlling this part long before I was born."

"Ace is getting weak, and it's showing." Lamont said. "He keeps losing territory to us, and he's not getting any new recruits. And the more we take from him, territory, money, lives, the less faith he inspires in his men." Lamont grinned and rubbed the side of his shotgun. "Trust me; by this time next week, the Ace gang will be a memory."

Stegmutt growled and Lamont turned back to the street. He grinned when he saw a car pulling up to the store window. Its dark tinted windows made it clear it was a gang car. It had all the markings.

"Get ready." Lamont raised his voice so that the five others he had brought with him could hear. His eyes kept focused on the door to the shop.

* * *

><p>The man behind the counter lifted his head and shivered. The two ducks who entered the station looked pretty much like a pair of businessmen, suits and all. However, most business ducks didn't have Ace gang tattoos. The huge stylized, blue colored As which covered the left side of each of their faces, should have looked silly, especially since they were designed so that top part of the A was over the eye, making the eye peek out from a triangle of blue. It did look very silly, to be honest, but the reputation of the gang was strong enough that no matter how silly they chose to mark themselves, they never were laughed at, to their faces at least. Both ducks were male, and they looked very similar. Same shaped beaks and features, in fact the man behind the counter was pretty sure they were related. The only difference was that one of them was a huge, muscular man, and other was shorter and skinnier, like a track runner.<p>

The man gulped as two more Ace gang members slunk in, each separating and going to stalk through the shelves of chips, candy and drinks. These two were not as professional looking as the first two, and the man couldn't help but notice that while one, a large goose, had a gun, the other, a reddish coyote of some sort, apparently had a bow and quiver. And yes, there were arrows there. That would have been silly as well, but the cashier didn't laugh.

"Timmy, it's that time of month again." The shorter of the two suit wearing ducks smiled mildly as he approached the counter. Timmy gulped and opened the cash register, aware that the gang was looking at him, observing to make sure everything went according to plan.

Tim reached into the cash register and lifted the tray, pulling out an envelope. He cautiously handed the envelope to the shorter duck, who took it with a nod. The shorter duck started to count through the bills in the envelope, while his larger companion scanned the shelves.

"It's all there, Neil, or not?" The bigger one asked as he took a bag of chips from the shelf and studied it.

"Don't fret Boris…it's fine." Neil smiled and placed the envelope of cash in his inner jacket pocket. "Let's see, can you toss me a Koo Koo Cola there?" The bigger duck, Boris, nodded and tossed Neil a soda. Neil produced a wallet, which Tim the counter man knew was his own personal stash, and not the money intended as tribute, and gave placed a few dollars on the counter. Tim's smile became genuine. Now that there was no longer any chance of him being shot he could act like a normal gas station attendant now.

Tim took the cash, as well as ringing up Boris' bag of chips. Of course, a simple bag of chips and cola was not even a fraction of what Tim had to pay, but at the very least the Ace gang tried to be civil about this arrangement. The two of them also seemed more relaxed and less willing to break bones, though there was always a slight tension in their spines, and occasionally their eyes would dart from side to side. The two of them might be friendly now, but Tim knew they were still willing and able to fight.

Just as he was contemplating the combat powers of his "customers", the two other Ace gang members looked towards the window with narrowed eyes, and Boris and Neil soon did the same.

"Tim. Head down."

Tim obeyed instantly, just in time to hear the windows shattering from a hail of bullets. He covered his head and cowered on the other side of the counter, hoping that he was going to live through this. Just what he needed this week! A drive by.

Meanwhile, the duck called Neil had ducked behind a shelf, at the same time whipping out a pistol and shooting in the direction of the assailants. He could feel Boris stepping beside him, pulling out his own sub machine gun and blasting with reckless abandon. He nodded to the coyote, who nodded back and pulled a dark hoodie over his long reddish ears. The coyote then slipped around towards the back exit, low to the ground.

"Negaduck, you think?" Boris asked.

"Hell yes." Neil growled. "I just hope he didn't bring a freak…" As soon as those words left Neil's beak a wall of green scales leapt through the remains of the window, spiked tail swinging towards him. "Yep, he brought a freak." Neil dodged to the side. "Nice." He backed somewhere nearer to the soda rack, shooting for Stegmutt's eyes. He missed.

But Boris did not. He dropped his gun and lifted a hand. With a surprising amount of dexterity and skill, he caught the swinging tail and gripped it firmly. He tugged at Stegmutt's tail, getting the bloodthirsty dinosaur's attention. He grinned down up at the taller creature. "Hey ugly." Boris said.

Stegmutt snarled and lifted his tail with a might jerk, trying to bash Boris against the ceiling. At the last minute Boris let go, diving straight for Stegmutt's back. He twisted just enough to miss impaling himself on Stegmutt's spines, but not enough to not get long scratches on his chest for his trouble. Still, his hands found a new grip on Stegmutt, on hand on his back between the spines, and the other going for his belly. He twisted and landed on his feet. With a grunt he lifted Stegmutt into the air and tossed him out the window. Stegmutt let out a cry of surprise. It was clear he never imagined he would be tossed by a simple duck.

He also failed to notice the fact that the goose, who had seemed to be holding back, had pulled out a bottle filled with liquid at the bottom, and a rag tucked inside it. He also missed the fact that the goose had pulled out a lighter and lite the Molotov cocktail. So, it came as a complete shock when he felt something break over his flying body, and then found himself ignited as he landed on top of a car.

Stegmutt roared and rolled, fortunately for him landing on top of a fire hydrant, which he crushed, spewing water all over himself. The fires died, and he rose to his feet. His scales were blackened a bit, but otherwise he seemed no worse for wear.

"Like the fire, freak?" Neil chuckled as he steeped out into the street, followed by Boris and the goose. "Want some more?" He aimed his gun.

"Getting a bit stupid in your old age, Cornelius?" Lamont and two other Negaduck gang members emerged from an alley, as two more Negaduck followers stepped out of another alley on the other side of the Ace gang. Neil's eyes darted from side to side, but he kept his gun trained on Stegmutt. Slowly he raised two fingers into the air, and then pointed them at Lamont.

Lamont heard the whistle just in time. Leaping to the side he felt something hard and sharp burrowing itself into his shoulder. He grunted and landed with a hard thud on the concrete. He looked up and glared at the steel arrow now stuck in his shoulder.

Stegmutt roared and charged at the trio in front of him. Neil saw him coming and leapt to the side, making a break for the fallen Lamont. A knife flashed, the blade's hilt appearing as if by magic in the throat of the Negaduck follower beside Lamont. Lamont snarled and yanked the arrow out of his shoulder. He knew that if Neil was resorting to knives he must be out of bullets. He stabbed with the blooded arrow as Neil went to tackle him, the head of the arrow sliding across Neil's cheek as he lifted an arm to slam against Lamont's throat. Lamont fell, Neil on top of him, while Lamont stabbed relentlessly at Neil's face.

Up on the rooftops the coyote aimed another arrow, eyeing his foes with a calm air. The archer breathed, then fired, the steel arrow flying true to his target, Lamont's foot. The coyote grinned. He was almost ten feet away. New record.

Neil grinned as Lamont winched, then he brought his foot up and kicked directly at Lamont's stomach. The canine howled as he fell over, the arrow in his foot causing him a great degree of difficulty.

Then, Stegmutt showed up again.

The dinosaur roared and swept almost an inch from Lamont's form, crashing into Neil as he tried to rise, and tossing him into a wall with a swing of his head. Neil grunted as he slammed into the wall, creating a duck shaped hole. Stegmutt laughed and grabbed a car, hoisting it over his head to smash it into the place where the hole was.

The only warning he got was a slight growl as a feathery missile flew from the side to punch him in the face. Stegmutt snarled as he reeled back, car falling from his hands. He blinked at Boris, who was coming in for another smack. How in the hell was this duck so powerful? Stegmutt grabbed the duck's hand as it flew towards his face. Sneering the dinosaur pressed down on the hand, hoping to win a contest of strength. While Boris was stronger then Stegmutt had thought, he was not so strong as a dinosaur. Stegmutt grinned and grabbed Boris' elbow, and flung him around to crash into another wall, right after Neil.

A few seconds later the two duck's heads poked from their respective holes. The goose henchman backed away towards them, then fled, eyes wide with terror. Neil sneered at the deserter's back. "Cowards." His eyes widened as Stegmutt snarled, then charged. Neil grabbed the sides of his hole and tried to pull himself out. "Boris, little help?"

"Love to, bro, but I got a pillar on my leg!"

The coyote jumped form the building top to the ground in front of the two ducks. As the dinosaur charged he took careful aim, then fired a good dozen arrows at the rampaging dinosaur. Stegmutt closed his eyes in order to keep from being blinded, as the arrows bounced of his nose and head.

The coyote nodded and leaped. He grabbed Neil and yanked him out, as Boris finally got the pillar off his leg. The coyote stomped, catching a boot on the edge of a manhole cover and flipped it open. He tossed Neil in and waited for Boris to go. The big duck jumped, but got stuck about a third of the way in.

The coyote sighed and shook his head at the duck. Boris glared at him. "Don't you get on me about my burritos again, Arch!" The coyote shook his head again, then wagged a finger at the duck in a parental manner. "Oh shut up and help!" Boris bellowed. Arch sighed, then nodded. He jumped in the air, then landed on Boris' head. Jumping three times did the trick, as the two fell into the sewers, inches from being flattened by a rampaging dinosaur.

Boris emerged from a river of green slime, holding Arch by the neck. "You dingbat! Why is it always the head?"

"Because it's the one part of your body you don't need, Boris." Neil scrambled up to the sidewalk of the sewer, grinning at his brother. Arch nodded and pointed at Neil, as if to agree.

"Bah, just because I can't do fancy science don't make me dumb." Boris said. "Look what college did to our brother!"

"Don't remind me." Neil shook some goo off his feathers. "Father isn't going to be happy about this."

Arch shrugged. He pointed at the two, then rubbed his fingers together in the classic 'money' sign.

"Yeah yeah, I know you think he values us more. Don't be sappy, Arch." Boris set the coyote down. "Let's head back before the old man has a cow."

Arch the coyote nodded and looked up at the circle of light that was the manhole. His ears twitched as he heard the sirens. Of course the Negaduck gang would be long gone by now. He snorted and nodded at the two ducks, who had just started in the direction of the boss's hideout.

Arch followed, a feeling of glumness settling in his gut. Yeah, Ace really wasn't gonna like this.

Somewhere one a rooftop, a duck shaped shadow watched the chaos bellow. The figure gritted its teeth, and before anyone could see it, was gone.

* * *

><p>At one point in time the hideout for the Ace gang had been a booming nightclub. A place were a good con could go to have a drink or settle down, free from the cops or vigilantes. Ace let just about anyone in the club, as long as they didn't cause trouble, as the hideout itself was below, but not accessible by the club. No, the Ace gang had learned long ago of the vast sewers and tunnels beneath the city, and had long since taken over a good chunk of them. There were rooms down there, with full electric lighting and even access to cable and refrigeration. The place, both clubhouse and hideout, had been a rather boisterous hive of scum in its day, with the gambling and the betting and the drinking making the place rather lively, and the gang working bellow the streets had once been vast. In fact, Ace had at one point twelve loyal lieutenants working under him, each with a smallish gang of their own to run and manage.<p>

However, these days were long past. The clubhouse had closed, the bright lights and welcoming doors crooked and broken, forever in disarray. The underground housing had been reduced to a few rooms. The most embarrassing losses of the underground being not from Negaduck, but from Quackerjack, who had his own hideout in the tunnel system. Once the Ace gang would have flushed him out and chased him off, but it was clear on the other side of town in the woods (or under woods) and Ace didn't have the manpower to trot all the way over there and kick out one vigilante clown. That really, really rankled, but Ace had long ago decided that the goofy do gooder was less important then the real pain in the tailfeathers.

Negaduck.

Ace was an ageing duck, his feathers long since falling from the top of his head, exposing the pale flesh beneath. He walked with an obvious limp, a shambling gait that not even the famous Scrooge McDuck had, despite the fact that Ace was actually younger then McDuck. His eyes were starting to dull, a fact that irritated the proud crime lord even more then losses in his power. He couldn't spot things, like random snipers, as well as he used it. Heck, couldn't even read a sign across the room without glasses.

Gripping a silver colored cane, which he leaned on quite heavily, the old duck growled at the reflection of the three who had just reported to him.

"So." Ace's voice was fairly pleasant and soft, despite his clear disappointment. He turned his head slightly to look at the three behind him. "My own sons and my last lieutenant…cannot even stand up to a small group of the boy's little freakshow?"

"So far he's got a witch, I remind you of the time that Arch here got turned into a frog." Neil nodded at Arch, who growled at that particular memory. "And now a huge green dinosaur." Neil folded his arms. "What, exactly, are we supposed to do about a dinosaur? It's huge, Father!"

Ace sighed. It was bad enough Negaduck had been absorbing his own former followers at a fantastic rate, but now he had dinosaurs. Normally the punishment for betraying a crime boss would make a traitor wish he had been picked up by the cops instead, but Ace had found himself unable to go through with most threats. Not for any sense of mercy, but for the fact that Negaduck knew how to protect his men, and knew that keeping them safe from Ace was just one way to keep them on his side.

"What about Hooter?" Boris asked. "Is he-"

"I don't know. That is what I am going to ask him…" Ace frowned. "If you two are up to it…"

"Right by you, Father." Neil grinned.

Ace chuckled to himself. Aside from his third son, his children were quite loyal. Even if none of the rest of his dwindling gang stayed, he knew that Boris and Neil would. Or, if nothing else, they would avenge him if needed.

"Meet me at the entrance in a few minutes. Arch, a word." Ace turned back to the window and looked out at the den of the hideout. It was a one-way window. All his gang would see was an ominous black stretch of glass. He could count four or five of them, all of them no older then thirty. They were all veterans from the old days, they had grown up with Ace in charge, and had not yet had the heart to betray the old duck. Not yet at least.

Ace blinked. Not yet? When had his thoughts become so pessimistic? Sometimes his internal monologue seemed determined that this was the end. Not just of him, but the gang as a whole. Thinking of his son's avenging him? Thinking of when the next member would either quit town or worse run to Negaduck or Hooter? Had it really gotten that bad? It hadn't been a sudden thing either. Chip after chip had been hacked away from the kingdom that Ace had wrestled away from his predecessor almost fifty or so years ago. Back then Ace had overthrown the last leader of the gang, with Arch's help. To be fair Ace has lasted a good thirty years longer then the old leader. Ah yes, putting that man…away had been fun. A real thrill. He missed that.

Ace started a bit at a tap on his shoulder. Oh yes, Arch. He was getting spacy again. He worried about that. Was he getting more and more spacy in his old age, or was it just the losses incurred? He had always had a good grip on his mind, even though his body was failing him. Was that changing? He turned to meet Arch's eyes. "Your project, old friend?" He asked, not letting his worries come to his face. No reason to worry the boy. Although to be fair 'the boy' wasn't that younger then he now.

Arch nodded, and smiled in a reassuring way. At least that was going alright, at least something was. Then Arch frowned and sneered, circling his fingers over his eyes, he shook his head and scowled at Ace.

"I know you don't trust Hooter. How many of our deserters has he sheltered, after all? But, still, an old friend would understand the threat we both face from Negaduck." Ace nodded at Arch's scowl. "Concentrate on the girl, my friend." Ace began to limp towards the door. "Let me handle Hooter."

Arch shook his head, and Ace pretended not to notice.

* * *

><p>Negaduck's hideout house on Avian Way had one constant occupant, an occupant that hated her surroundings more and more every day. Though the house looked nice and well kept on the outside, inside the place was a sty.<p>

Mostly because Gosalyn would be damned if she was going to clean the place. Sure she kept her room nice, just to spite Negaduck. And she wore dresses and kept up a nice positive attitude, again to spite him. Negaduck hated the dresses. Hated Gosalyn's sweet little girl act. This only spurned her to use it more. In fact, she used it so much it had become her personality. It was easy to annoy her 'father' with it, and easy to get what she wanted from others with it as well. She had Morgana wrapped around her little finger, even though the ditzy fool was just as enamored with Negaduck. How the woman couldn't see that she was being used was beyond Gosalyn. It was like she was dumb on purpose. No one could be that dumb by accident.

Gosalyn gritted her teeth as, in the sweetest voice she could muster, she approached Negaduck as he was talking to two of his little gang. Lamont and that creepy dinosaur, from the sound of it. It was just a phone conference, but the two sounded just as nervous as they would have been in person. Gosalyn had never met any of the gang, save Launchpad and Morgana, but she knew a lot of voices. She got a little thrill of joy at the nervous stammer in Lamont's voice as he reported something that was, in her eyes, a success. It said something about Negaduck that even successes were reported with a degree of nervousness.

Anyway, back to what she was saying with her fake sweet tone. "Do you want something to eat or drink, Daddy?" She curtsied, knowing that would drive her adopted guardian bats. To be fair, the curtsy would turn into a duck as a plate came flying at her head.

"No! Go do something productive! Rob a store! Break a window! Steal candy from a baby! Anything!" Negaduck scowled at her. She grinned back, as sweet as she could. She got another little thrill of joy at his enraged eyes. She knew he wasn't going to actually hurt her, not matter how much crap he threw at her head. He though her valuable. She knew why, but she wasn't going to perform for him again, not if she could help it. Not after what he had done.

"Alright!" She chirped happily and practically skipped away. She could hear him snarling behind her, and she tried not to laugh. Sometimes driving him up the wall was just too funny!

And now she could leave the house without him noticing. She had been nice to him for a good thirty minutes. He'd have to go back to the bridge hideout to vent. Or to that other world. The world with Darkwing Duck. How she wished she could find out where he went in and out! She would love to see a world like that! A world with some justice!

But this was her world, and she had to make the best of it. Fantasy was never good when reality was staring you right in the face.

She scurried out the back door, following the line of bushes that led to the Muddlefoot's house. It was a bit dangerous getting so close to that depraved family's lair, as she wasn't' sure what they would do if they caught her. Well, most of them…

"I can hear over there, Gos. You going to meet him?" She heard a voice from over the hedge.

"Yeah, you coming with, Tank?"

Tank peeked over the hedge. The glasses on his nose reflecting the sun slightly. "Yeah. Honker is playing Tank the Tank again. I feel safer with you and him." He wiggled over the hedge and slide to the ground. "Let's go. He's in the front."

Gosalyn nodded and lead Tank away from the hedge and towards the nearby forest. Ducking a weaving between cars and buildings, and ducking through the occasional backyard, they made their way through the unoffending looking suburbs. It all looked relatively nice and peaceful, if you didn't notice the things that went on behind the closed doors and in the basements. Gosalyn didn't care to look. While the inner city was obvious in its evil, the 'burbs were different in that the evil was under the surface.

However, soon they had raced past the tree line and into the forest, a place that, in Gosalyn's eyes, was much better then the city. At least all they had to worry about here was ravaging bears. And, it was on the opposite side of the city from the strange clown man's territory. No one knew exactly where Quackerjack lived, but it was somewhere on the other side of town. Clowns gave Gosalyn the creeps, so she avoided him and his band of loons. That, and she didn't care to get involved with Negaduck's little war. Not yet.

Gosalyn came to a hollow tree and dug around in a big knothole. She pulled out a bow and a set of trick arrows. She loved them. They all did different things, from knock out gas, to a blinding flash of light, to sticky tar, to a grappling hook. There were even normal arrows. And, a few tipped in poison. Not enough to kill, but enough to paralyze a victim. She grinned at Tank, who gave them a nervous look.

"I really don't like-akk!" Tank jumped aside as a different, larger arrow thwannged against the hollow tree. Even in a dress, Gosalyn still had the agility to turn and fire a normal arrow at the place where the larger arrow had come. She then ducked to the side as three more came at her, and Tank fell to the ground and took cover behind a log. He sighed and poked his head out to watch.

Arch the coyote was in the trees, firing arrows at Gosalyn with reckless abandon. Gosalyn was returning fire, trying a whole slew of different arrows. The coyote barely missed getting caught in the knockout smoke, only to grunt as a blunted arrow hit him in the shoulder. He winched in clear pain. He wasn't as young or as fast as he used to be. Still, he had enough strength to fire more and more arrows at the young girl. With a calmness and poise unlike someone of her age, she fired back, coming closer and closer to the elderly canine. She used a grappling arrow to swing up to Arch's branch and attempted to thump him on the head with her bow. He raised up an arm to deflect the small assailant, who was leaping up to his level. She gripped his arm with her left hand and tried to kick him in the chest. He grunted and fell out of the tree, her on top of him.

"You know, Arch, the suits really aren't the best for outdoor activities." She chuckled. The man dressed like it was still the forties.

Arch raised an eyebrow and nodded at her dress. Okay, so she wasn't exactly in the best outdoor attire either…she grinned as he picked her up by the collar and placed her down. He stood up, smiling at her gently. He looked like he was pleased. She grinned at him.

"I beat you. Again." She laughed.

Arch nodded, though she had a feeling that he was holding back. None of his shots had been aimed to kill, or even wound. Instead he had seemed more determined to test her agility and her aim then anything else. Still, she could feel herself getting better. She was becoming an archer, like the coyote.

Arch raised an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of Negaduck's house. He tilted his head in question at her.

"Not yet. But soon. I'm not ready." She shook her head as he gestured towards the bad part of the city, towards the Ace nightclub. "I…am still not sure about that, Arch."

Tank swung himself up on the log and sat down, breathing heavy. Gosalyn may be used to all this, but he wasn't. Still, it was safer out here with the two gangsters then it was at his own home. Gosalyn didn't know it, but in many ways Tank sort of did see her as a little junior gangster. He couldn't help it. She might have been a kid like him once, but being adopted by Negaduck…he couldn't help but see her that way. Sure, she was his friend, but the things she was capable of…

Well he didn't want to think too much about that. She was still his friend after all, so what if her background was slightly terrifying when you thought about it too much. So he just watched the two interact, interested to see how it would go next.

None of them really noticed the duck shaped figure in the bushes, watching them.

* * *

><p>Neil and Boris did a pretty good job of acting calm and collected as they flanked their father down the hall one of S.H.U.S.H's many many hideouts. It was a dank, cold pace. Dark metal walls looming close to them, to make visitors feel more nervous, only made the two criminals sneer slightly. Despite any nerves the two might have felt, they hid it well, as did their father. For all the emotion he displayed, Ace might as well have been walking to the store.<p>

Ace smiled slightly as they rounded a corner to see a certain angry looking bear glowering at them. Grizzlikov didn't like Ace. None of the S.H.U.S.H agents did. Mostly because they had never been able to beat Ace in the occasional fights the two groups had. Ace had clashed with S.H.U.S.H before, and had allied with them before as well. It all depended on the circumstances, and who was in charge. Hooter had not always ran his little mafia, and the pervious leader had been cordial to Ace, and the man before that, more aggressive and angry.

Ace didn't even wait for the bear to open the door for him. He simply pushed it open itself, letting Boris slightly block Grizlikov's path in case his got any bright ideas. Ace couldn't help but be proud. They worked well together.

Hooter looked up with a frown, which of course only turned Ace's small smile into a smirk. The elderly crime lord placed both hands on his cane, folded, and blatantly looked down on Hooter, still smiling. For all the world like a elderly gentleman looking down on a small pleb.

"Dear boy, how have you been?" Ace asked gently.

Hooter's frown deepened. Ace milked that old man thing far too much. IT was annoying. Especially his dignified voice. It was why Hooter preferred Negaduck. Much more straightforward. Hooter would take a Negaduck rage over Ace's attitude any day.

"I heard that you lost more territory, Loren." Hooter said, getting a mild bit of pleasure as the pleasant smile on his opposite's face wilting slightly. Hooter knew Ace hated hearing his real name from someone like Hooter. "And your wife has gone missing." Hooter expected that to get a reaction, but Ace only smiled at that last bit.

"She sometimes finds that the St. Canard air is not to her liking. She often takes long trips."

"And is she taking these trips because she knows that Negaduck will be knocking your doors down soon?" Hooter was losing patience for this old game. "Cut the crap, Loren. You came here for one purpose, to beg me for help because you can't handle the new blood on your own." Hooter ignored the twins glowering at him from over their father's shoulders.

"Address our father by his title." Boris growled. Ace held up a hand.

"No no…let him." His pleasant look didn't leave his face, but Ace's eyes grew hard. "It's very…amusing."

"Glad you find it amusing." Hooter smirked. "Because soon, you are going to die laughing."

"I will, because if I do fall, you shall be right behind me, dear boy." Ace's grin grew wide. "If you really want to stop the game, then let me be blunt, as it seems you are so dense as to forget everything we once stood for." Ace brought his hands up, gripping the cane like a staff, a weapon. "Once Negaduck is through tearing my gang apart, he will move against you. And then he will move against the rest of this city. Are you really that blind as not see this? The man is mad, and bad for business. Do you really think he has the foresight to run this city as you and I have?"

"No, but it will not come to that." Hooter said.

"What? You think you can cage the beast on your own?" Ace growled, his pleasant tone finally snapping to one of pure contempt. "You think you, who can't even corral one filthy federal agent, can keep that monster in check? Damn it, Hooter, open your eyes."

"You sound like your son now." Hooter said with a small chuckle.

"HEY! Shut up you little prick!" Neil bellowed, but gasped when Ace smacked him in the head. It was not a hard blow, but it did get the younger duck's attention.

"Don't. Mind yourself." Ace growled to him.

"You can't even control the ones that are on your side, can you?" Hooter laughed. "Oh how many times did my predecessor speak of you? How many praises he heaped, but now…you're losing it all, Loren, and you expect me to drag my S.H.U.S.H down the drain with your pathetic little street rats?"

Ace stared at him for a few moments, then laughed bitterly. He tapped his cane back on the floor. "Let's go." He turned without another word and allowed Boris to shove Hooter's pet bear out of the way as the exited.

As soon as they left Grizzlikov looked at Hooter. "Do you want me to set the boys on him?"

Hooter shook his head. "Why? Negaduck will take care of the issue soon enough." He leaned back in his chair. "…I hate that coot so much…"

* * *

><p>As soon as they were gone Neil looked at Ace apologetically. "Sorry Dad, I-"<p>

"Don't." Ace shook his head. "You are not naturally eloquent. This is not your fault. And, you are right. What you said had no difference in that…travesty, and it would not have bettered us if you had kept…yer trap shut." Ace snarled slightly, his normally quiet tones slightly descending into something that sounded more fit in a mobster movie.

"Hehehehe, sometimes I think you should have been an actor, Father." Boris said. He had long gotten used to his father's odd shifting from one persona to another.

"Perhaps." Ace nodded.

"I am thinking King Lear, hey Ace?" A certain sinister voice growled from the shadows of an alley. "Nice of you to drop into my old friend Hooter…oh, didn't he mention it'd be a party of three?" Negaduck laughed.

"…your grasp of the classics is rudimentary at best, child." Ace barely turned his head, even though Neil and Boris turned, tensing. "And I have not the time to educate you." Ace spun, the limp in his gait vanishing as he pointed something at Negaduck. A small canister, which spewed smoke into the other crime lord's face. Ace's sons wasted no time, Boris grabbing up his father, and running, as Neil rushed forwards, attempting to strike at Negaduck with a blade he drew from his coat. However, the swift duck was intercepted by several pounds of Stegmutt, who easily batted Neil away.

Neil rolled and sprang up, running to follow his brother, who was batting Negaduck gang members away with one hand, and holding their father in the other massive arm. But Ace was not sitting idle, spewing the gas into faces over his son's shoulder. He clenched his teeth. How he wished he could run! How he wished he could stand and face the animal behind him! But he couldn't…he couldn't…his bad leg throbbed, an old would that wouldn't allow him to be Ace again.

For a moment he almost wished of the Negaduck gang would just shoot him, and free his children from having to drag their father around like a package, but this feeling was quickly squashed as he fired again and again.

Ace gasped as he heard bullet fire, but not from the Negaduck gang. He looked up. Someone ran on the roof, firing a gun down at the assaulting gang, paying particular mind to the treacherous former Ace gang members among the crowd. Ace's eyes widened in horror. "MOVE, DAMN YER HIDES!" He roared. He could see Neil following them, slashing at their foes with abandon as he ran, but Ace hadn't been roaring at him.

"It's PLLLAAAYTIME!" A certain battle cry echoed from ahead of them.

"…and the Four are here…" Boris snarled. "Hold on, Father!" Boris lowered his head and literally crashed through a rather surprised Liquidator, who hadn't expected an Ace member to run through his water like that.

Ace turned his head to the side, and for a brief second a very familiar pair of eyes stared back at him in horror as Boris charged past…then the person was knocked to the side by Neil, who was still fast on his brother's heels. "Move it, asshole!" Neil roared as the trio finally found free air.

Ace breathed hard, heart pounded. Oh that was not good. The doctor did say heart attacks would be in his future. Come on, you stupid thing. Keep it up…Ace gasped. "Home…now…" He closed his eyes, trusting Boris. "Contact…Arch…tell him…take the girl." Ace shuddered. "I am done with being nice."

He smiled as he heard Neil bellow into a radio at Arch. Maybe things were not so bad.

* * *

><p>Gosalyn's hackles were raised almost as soon as Arch put a radio next to his ear. She knew, intellectually, what the coyote did for a living. Tank noticed the tensing.<p>

"Gos?"

"Get ready to scoot, Tank." She whispered low as she watched the coyote frown.

"Huh?"

"You do remember who he works for?" Gosalyn asked.

"You don't think he'd…but he's a friend!"

"No, he's teaching me archery. He's not a friend." Gosalyn replied.

"…you aren't normally this cynical…" Tank sighed to himself.

Gosalyn gave Tank a small pat on the shoulder, to comfort the poor kid. He was smart, but only book smart. Her eyes narrowed as Arch turned. He lifted his hand and curled a finger to her, beckoning. A par to Gosalyn did want to go with him, but at the same time…

"Gos, why don't we-"

"No." Gosalyn growled at Arch. "I like you, Arch. I don't-" She shook her head as Arch gestured violently at her, a slight snarl coming to his lips. "Damn it, you know what he did to my grandfather!"

Arch glared at her. He took a step closer. Tank, seeing how the wind was blowing, turned and ran off. He felt a stab of guilt, but he knew that he couldn't do much of anything to help her. Despite his size, he was a weakling, not at all like Gos herself. It was best if got away before he distracted Gos from what she had to do. He ducked and weaved, just in case Arch shot at them, and indeed he heard the buzz of arrows flying through the air. His heart raced from fear. He was going to be killed if he wasn't careful. He turned his head, and nearly screamed. Arch was right behind them, shooting arrows as he ran. The coyote was good. Good enough to run and shoot a bow at the same time. Tank new that even Gos hadn't mastered that yet. For her part she was running as well, though she would sometimes pause to shot at Arch. Tank gulped when he saw that she didn't land a single one.

He ducked under a fence and raced out into the street, barely avoided a car, which honked at him as it swerved. Now truly horrified, Tank made it to the other side of the street. He gasped and wheezed, falling to the ground.

"Gos…that was…" Tank looked up. He gulped. "Gos…? Gosalyn! GOS! WHERE ARE YOU!"

"…that is a very good question…"

Tank gulped as a hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around. He stared into the furious eyes of Negaduck's head henchman. Launchpad. Gosalyn had told him who the angry looking thug was. Sometimes he stood in as Gos's watcher, but they had always assumed that the stupid thug was easy to dodge. Had they been wrong?

"I…I…"

"I know you know who I am kid. I've seen you with her. Where is she?" Launchpad rumbled.

"Er…"

"Kid, if you don't tell me where she is…"

Tank eeped.

* * *

><p>Gos growled as she was dumped on the floor of the Ace hideout. Great. Just what she needed. She hated getting involved with Negaduck's work, no matter how much he encouraged her to come along on a raid and work on her skills. No, instead she worked on the nice girl act, and fought to stay away from him. Now she had been dumped in the middle, all because she had trusted that stupid stupid coyote.<p>

"You are an idiot." She told Arch flatly. He shrugged. She glared. Being in that sack for hours had made her grumpy.

"Child, do sit down. We have some things to discuss." The gentle old voice said from behind her. She turned. Nice girl act? Or not? She decided not. This was to serious.

"Look, let me go."

"You know I cannot do that." Ace said. The old man sat behind a desk in his office, the big window behind him reflecting parts of the room. He held his cane under his folded hands, and gazed her with a polite smile. She liked him. He was like a kind old gran…she wouldn't think of it. "We know who your father is, miss Mallard."

"My name is Gosalyn Waddlemeyer, not Mallard." She said firmly. With a firm nod she walked to one of the office chairs in front of Ace and sat in it. It was, in a way, a social visit after all.

"I see. Would you like something to drink or eat while we wait for your…guardian, perhaps?" Ace raises his eyebrows.

"I prefer the term, kidnapper." Gosalyn said. "And I will have a Koo Koo Cola and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

Ace nodded at Neil, who seemed to be in a state of permanent chuckle. He passed by the desk and gave Gosalyn a reassuring smile. Of all the people to kidnap her, these were awfully nice kidnappers. But then, she knew that.

"You seem to have, shall we say, and interesting view of Negaduck." Ace said calmly. "I have to say, I am surprised you didn't seek shelter here, after all the times dear Arch offered it. I know his muteness doesn't lend to easy communication, but I would have thought he would have made it clear by now."

Gosalyn folded her own arms, and leaned forwards a bit. "Have you heard of the Ram Rod, Mr Ace?"

"I know that it was an item that my dear old friend, Detective Bulba, was very keen on getting his hands on…and that he was thwarted by Negaduck." Ace said.

"Not just him. Me. I couldn't let any of you have it."

"Andy of us?" Ace smiled. "Bulba is one of the city's declared protectors."

"And they do a poor job." Gos growled. "After what happened to my parents, and my grandfather. He made a deal with Negaduck and it went south. He killed my grandfather to take his work. I got rid of the thing, but he got me…"

"And the reason he didn't terminate you?" Ace said, and Gosalyn did not miss the calculating look.

"That is my business." Gosalyn said, as Neil brought in the requested items. He was still grinning.

"Now that you are here, it is my business."

"No, it's not." Gosalyn took a delicate bit of the sandwich. "Your business is taking out Negaduck. You won't do it, but that is your business. I am sorry. I think I like you and your men. But you won't get him. No one can." Except Darkwing…but there are no heroes here.

"So much cynicism for one so young…and pink dressed." Ace said sadly.

"Realism." Gosalyn corrected.

"…I see…realism." Ace sighed. "I am sorry, child."

"Yeah, you will be. So am I." Gosalyn finished her sandwich. "You got one of those evil dangly pit traps for me or something?"

"I am not a brute. Nor am I an action villain." Ace said. "Besides, you never know when a careless minion will accidentally fall in one of those things. Messy to clean up."

"I see." Gosalyn said. "Good. Ropes are uncomfortable."

"Arch. The room." Ace nodded at Arch, who nodded and took Gosalyn by the hand. She went along willingly, in a way that made Ace's heart sink.

"…dang…" Boris breathed. "…were any of us like that when we were kids?"

"…no, you were not." Ace leaned back in his chair. "Send the usual letter." He said.

"Right Father." Neil said as Ace closed his eyes. Neither brother commented when their father began to snore lightly, hands twitching fitfully in his sleep.

* * *

><p>"…Loren…"<p>

Ace opened his eyes and took out a radio. "Ah, my sweet…what were you thinking?"

"I can get a car ready in an hour. Come on. Bring the kids and lets –go-."

"…you know I can't."

"Loren, it is over. We can't do this anymore. I know how much it means to you, but it's not worth what time we have left."

Ace breathed a sigh. "I am sorry, my love…is he alright? I saw him today…in his own way, he is magnificent…"

"Loren, don't change the subject, and don't do this to yourself."

"If we left, could we take him with us?"

"He made his choice. You can't always be responsible for his choices. He's a grown man."

"…I know…I know…"

"Don't make me do something drastic, love."

"I will go down fighting."

"That's what I am afraid of."

* * *

><p>The figure on the rooftop tossed the radio aside, glaring at the dark casino before it.<p>

"You are such an idiot…" It shook its head. "I didn't want to have to do this.."

The figure walked over to a discarded motorcycle, and sped off, heading in the direction of a certain greenhouse.

* * *

><p>The Four gathered round the television, listening to the report of the fight. All four heroes were tired, and a bit beat from facing all of Negaduck's men. Although to be fair, the fact that the gang had been more focused on going after Ace had slowed and scattered them. A few of them were even behind bars now, thanks to the confusion. Still, none of the Four were happy, least of all Bushroot, who had been greatly out of sorts since the fight. The plant duck was leaning against a far wall, eyes closed, looking down, and ignoring the concerned looks his friends shot him.<p>

"…is he going to be alright?" Megavolt asked quietly, his friends odd mood unsettling him.

"…Ace gang." Quackerjack whispered, his voice equally low, and uncharacteristically quiet. "He told me once they took his parents when he was really little."

"Ohhhh." Megavolt's eyes widened. "No wonder he looked less green. That was Ace himself there…almost sorry we let em go now."

"Can't help but feel sorry for the old man though." The Liquidator whispered, eyes on the tv. "He's been around since I was a kid myself, and I'm the oldest of you. Now, Negaduck is taking everything."

"A villain is a villain." Megavolt said firmly. "And Ace may be less crazy, but that makes is worse in my mind. He does what he does deliberately. At least Negaduck can claim insanity."

"…do you guys hear a motorcycle?" Quackerjack sat up, suddenly alert. Not a moment later the plants began to wave a sway, as a motorcycle burst through the glass walls of the greenhouse, and a figure batted at the vines trying to grab for it. The bike skidded on the ground, blades flashing as the figure cut at vines.

"YOUNG MAN, YOU GET THESE THINGS OFF ME RIGHT NOW!"

Three pairs of eyes turned in shock as one of the Four said. "Yes Mother."

* * *

><p>Ace opened his eyes once again. "They are here." He stood, shocking Niel a bit.<p>

"Yeah…you ready Father?"

"Of course. Now, let's go see how bad it is." Ace leaned on his cane, but he didn't take Neil's offered hand. Instead he marched to the window, pushing back a sliding, hidden door, as he walked out onto a balcony. Boris nodded at him as he walked to the edge of the balcony. Said balcony stretched around the wall, and at every possible point, an Ace member aimed guns down at the room below. Ace looked down at the gathered forces of Negaduck. So many, and yes there was a dinosaur. Arch nodded at him as he aimed a bow at Lamont. Arch hated that duck.

Ace smirked slightly, though the fact that Negaduck was gazing up at him with the exact same expression caused a small jolt of sickness in his gut. Nerves? Now? Or memory. He remembered standing where this duck was now, defying a foolish old man with no sense of pride or reason. A man with the brains of mush. He shook his head. Bad thoughts.

"OLD FART!" Negaduck roared. "GIVE ME THE GIRL BEFORE I BRING THIS RAT HOLE DOWN ON YOUR HEAD!"

"Threats, at this stage?" Ace said. "How…droll."

"I am not giving you another warning, Wrinkles." Negaduck snarled, and Ace felt another jolt of fear.

"And I shan't give you the satisfaction." Ace said. "Leave my city, or the girl dies."

Negaduck laughed. "Like you would kill a little girl! You don't have the guts anymore!"

"Try me, child." Ace said, his voice not betraying the feeling in his heart.

"All right, I will…oh Morgaaaana!" Negaduck crowed, his voice a sing song. Ace had just enough time to frown before the balcony vanished into thin air. He gasped, composer falling as surly as he was…but then a familiar hand grabbed him, and twisted in mid air as the entire Ace gang fell. He grunted as he landed on Arch, the coyote letting out a yip of pain.

Ace, ignoring his oldest friend, spun to his feet, aiming a gun from his coat at Negaduck. He blinked a bit at the woman wearing the odd dress, who lowered her arms, glaring at Ace with pure hate. Oh, so that was the witch. He should have planned for that. Now they had lost the advantage, and they didn't have the numbers. Most of his men groaned and struggled to get up, age wearing on them all. The much younger, more plentiful Negaduck gang sneered and laughed at them, and Ace gritted his teeth.

"Now…I am willing to give you and yours a bit of…dignity." Negaduck sneered. "I remember the old stories. How the great Loren Ace killed his master in single combat…with a little help from a sniper coyote." Negaduck grinned at Arch nastily. "You cheated, old man. Care to try again?" Negaduck revved a chainsaw. "You die, your gang goes to me."

"Now you get the old ways." Ace laughed, taking up his cane, dropping the gun. "Back away, boys. Let's see if the great Negaduck can fight one on one."

"Father…" Boris growled. "No, let me or Neil, we can take him!"

"Boris." Ace shook his head, and then lowered his voice to a mumble, so only the three beside him could hear. "I love you, my boys." He heard Arch's strangled choke of protest, but he didn't look at him.

Ace stepped forwards, twisting the cane to reveal a small sword. He dropped the shell on the ground, flicking the sword out to the side. "Let's get this over with. I have dinner to get to."

"So the devil serves brunch in hell?" Negaduck laughed.

"Ask him when you get there." Ace said and he placed his crippled leg fully on the ground. He suddenly lunged, ignoring the throb. He only had to last long enough to cut this fool's neck. He could only do this one last time. It would be worth it. Just to get rid of him.

Chainsaws are cumbersome weapons, and though Ace knew that if Negaduck touched him with the horrible thing, it was not a good weapon for a sword fight. Ace didn't even bother with Negaduck himself, instead stabbing at the chainsaw, attempting to cut a cord, shut the thing down. The sword was a small blur of silver light, the old duck's arms, for this moment, obeying his command. A small metal bumblebee, the blade cut at the sides of the chainsaw, but did little damage. Ace gritted his teeth as the chainsaw came for his gut, but dodged and ducked below, slashing at Negadcuk's legs, the sword almost to fast to follow. Again, like an enraged stinging insect, Ace ducked low and slide to Negaduck's side, aiming for his neck. The jugular. But Negaduck swung the chainsaw, and Ace had to retreat, or lose his weapon. Ace jumped back, then came forwards again, ducking and weaving under Negaduck's limited defenses. Poking. Prodding. Seeking that one lucky thrust.

"Alright, now I am bored." Negaduck suddenly tossed the chainsaw aside, and Ace lunged forwards, thinking the arrogant fool had giving him the opportunity he wanted. Eager, he struck for Negaduck's filthy heart, but grunted as the younger man slammed his webbed foot into Ace's face. The old duck reeled back, not prepared. He was also not prepared for the two hard punches to his old frame as he flew back in midair. He grunted as he landed on the ground.

Negaduck cracked his knuckles as Ace gasped and wheezed on the ground, the adrenaline not enough to carry Ace through. Ace looked up at Negaduck as he came closer. Ace laughed, and got to his knees. He grabbed his sword, and Negaduck hesitated. Ace tossed the blade at the younger duck's feet.

"May your kingdom be as ash." Ace said the words once spoken to him. He attempted to get to his feet. "I am not dying on my knees."

"Oh yes you are!" Ace gasped as Negaduck kicked the blade away and then punched him in the face, bringing him to the ground once more. "I am the master of this city, now and forever, and soon the entire world shall kneel to me! But you're first!" Negaduck took out his own gain, and aimed it at Ace's head.

"NO! LOREN!"

The voice was cracked with misuse, and age, but the arrow that flew at Negaduck was straight and true. It knocked the gun from the crime lord's hand, and Arch darted forwards, hitting Negaduck away. "NO!"

"That knob can talk!" Negaduck was a bit to shocked by this little revelation that he almost forgot about the business of taking over. It didn't last long. "You Ace fools! Come to my side or share their fate!" He roared at the gang…and as one, the Ace gang walked over to Negaduck's line, pointed their weapons at Ace. Ace stared at the faces that had been family to him once, and sighed.

"I don't blame you, my dears. I wish none of you any ill." He said gently. Though none of them spoke to him, he could see a few eyes filled with tears, and not all of them old.

He felt his two boys coming up next to him and Arch, and expected them to follow the men. But, the two brothers instead stood next to their father and Arch, and as a single being, leaned down and helped him up.

"Boys…go." Ace protested.

"Father." Neil growled. "Never."

"How sweet. Going to die with daddy now?" Negaduck chuckled.

"…I can't wait to see what our brother does to you." Boris laughed.

"…your…brother?" Negaduck hesitated. "How many brats did you have?"

"More then you could steal." Ace smiled. "My boys, it was a pleasure. Arch…you are stupid."

"Yer pigheaded." Arch growled, but his smile was wide.

Ace tensed as nearly fifty guns cocked at them…and then something blotted out the moon.

A window above broke into a million pieces, and large vines dropped in like ropes all around the four of them. Ace blinked as a funnel of water leapt in front of them, solidifying as the gang shot, but the 'hard water' blocked and slowed the bullets. Ace could hear Negaduck screaming in rage, and laughed. He grabbed a vine. "Let's go!" Arch, Neil and Boris each grabbed a vine, and up they went, the water following them.

"I cannot believe I am doing this!" Megavolt groaned as the four were hauled out of the window. Thankfully it was a very big window. "Gah…"

"Nice to see you as well, dear boy." Ace grinned. "How's the electricity?"

"Is now really the time?" Bushroot said, as he placed the four of them on a tree. "Charlie, move!" Charlie the tree dipped his branches and tootled off, carrying four gangsters with him. Bushroot yelped as Negaduck roared through the window at them, trying to climb out and throttle them.

"What are you doing!" He roared. "I am going to kill you all!"

"You aren't going to lay a hand on them." Bushroot's voice was low, angry…and familiar to Negaduck all of a sudden.

He stared at the plant duck, shocked. "You…him…YOU!"

Bushroot chuckled. "Yeah…'dear boy.'" He was glad that Negaduck was focused on him, as the others were going ahead with the plan, and running off after Charlie. "Not all sons are good." Bushroot turned and ran as Negaduck sprayed useless bullets at his back.

* * *

><p>The docks were nice and quiet. The woman had a boat. She probably stole it, thought Megavolt as he glared at the floor. But he couldn't really object. Not now. He understood.<p>

"…so…uh…"

"Cordelia." The woman said.

"…you are kidding."

"No. It is my name. Cordelia Bushroot."

"…a motorcycling gangster granny with the name Cordelia…is my friend's mother…" Megavolt sighed. "This is a strange night."

"How do you think I feel."? Cordelia grinned at him. She was still pretty, in an aged way. She was not as decrepit as he husband. She wore a motorcycle jacket, a helmet, and big goggles. Apparently she believed in safety. "My son is hanging out with…well you people. And I keep hearing Steelbeak rumors. Talk about the wrong crowd." She shrugged, lighting a cigarette and flicking the match into the ocean. "Oh looky, Mr. Justice. I just littered."

"…I am not in the mood." Megavolt said.

"Ah, I hope Reginald doesn't hear you say that. He likes people to play fair." Cordelia laughed. "I don't know where he gets it."

Megavolt didn't have to speak any more, as the rest of the gang family came up, Bushroot arguing fiercely with his brothers. The non-mutant brothers didn't really look like Bushroot…but then Bushroot was a plant. There was some similarity in the eyes though. They all had the same bright blue eyes. Same as their father, in fact.

"How are they?" Cordelia asked, breathing out smoke.

"They are going to be fine, Mother." Bushroot said, coming to stand beside Megavolt, the line between heroes and villains there, but ignored for the moment. "You guys are ready to go…and probably the sooner the better. Where are you going?"

Cordelia chuckled. "Ask no questions, and I won't have to lie to you." She breezed past them, grabbing Boris and Neil by the arms. "Come say goodbye, boys." She said lightly.

"This is so surreal…Bushy...why didn't you event tell us?" Megavolt asked as they walked closer to the dreaded water, but Megavolt for the first time wasn't concerned with that. All of his attention was on Bushroot.

Bushroot was took a breath. "Part of it is habit. You don't talk about the gang. You don't talk about the secrets. There is a reason they just call my Father Ace, and not Bushroot. Anonymity."

"…yeah, I guess I could see that." Megavolt nodded. "But, you've had to fight your dad."

"I know. I know." Bushroot said, the edges of his beak tensing. Megavolt didn't press anymore. It wasn't the time.

Quackerjack and the Liquidator had been watching over Ace and Arch. Both of them ignored the two heroes, but as soon as he saw Bushroot, Ace rose.

"Father, I-"

"Hush." Ace shook his head. "I don't approve. I never did." He chuckled. "Rebellious little boy, you were."

Bushroot shook his head. "Are we going to do this now?"

"…no." Ace shook his head. "Shan't do that to you." Ace limped over, and put a hand on Bushroot's shoulder. "I cannot say I approve…but I am proud of you. Wrong side, but still a fighter. I knew it was there somewhere."

"What are you going to do?" Bushroot asked.

"I will think on that. But for now…it is Hooter's problem. And he can choke on it." Ace said.

"There is me as well, the four of us." Bushroot said.

"Bah, you and revenge?" Neil laughed. "You never had the guts, Reggie."

"Not revenge, Neil, justice." Bushroot said.

"Why did you and I get all the brains and the good looks, Neil?" Boris sighed.

"Boys…do not leave your brother with harsh words." Ace chided.

"Pffft, alright…kick Negaduck's ass for me." Boris look at the Four. "All of you rotten do gooders. Kick his ass hard."

"The Friendly Four deliver on demand." The Liquidator chuckled.

"And you are lame." Neil said. "But…aww come here, you jerk." Neil was suddenly beside Bushroot, giving his fronds a firm, but friendly noggie. "Good luck saving the whales, or whatever." The skinny duck then darted to the boat, leaping onto the deck with a laugh. Boris joined him.

Arch shook his head at the two. He looked at Bushroot and grinned. "Safe, Regs."

"Bye Arch."

Arch nodded and jumped on the boat as well.

For a moment, Ace and Bushroot looked at each other. "…get that cane back for me, will you son?" Ace finally asked.

"Count on it, Father." Bushroot hugged Ace. Ace didn't struggle, or even tense. "Watch yourself."

"You are in more danger then I." Ace backed away, and climbed on the boat, helped by Boris and Neil.

Cordeila smiled at Bushroot. "I am proud of you." She said gently. "You boys take care of my baby, or I will be back to slit all your throats!" She laughed and joined the rest of her family, grabbing Ace as soon as she could and swung him around. The four were then treated to the sight of her leaning her husband downwards and kissing him. They blinked. It wasn't exactly chaste.

"…I am not sure if I am charmed, sickened, or amazed." Quackerjack said.

"Must mean you are confused." Megavolt snorted.

"You aren't?"

"…point."

Bushroot sighed as Neil took the helm of the boat. He wondered if his mother had stolen it. Probably. He didn't want to explain this to Bulba. Hopefully he wouldn't know. He lifted a sad leaf in farewell, as the boat pulled out of the dock, and was soon lost in the darkness.

For a long moment the four stood on the dock, watching the waves splash gently on the boards.

"You okay, Reggie?" Quackerjack finally asked.

"Yeah Quacky, I will be." Bushroot said.

* * *

><p>"You didn't even TRY to escape!" Negaduck roared at Gosalyn. He had found his charge right after the fight, safe and sound. He was not happy.<p>

"I was scared!" Gosalyn's eyes filled with fake tears.

"What is it going to take to give you a spine?!" Negaduck roared again. "I didn't take you in for you to be a useless little dress wearing tea partier!"

Negaduck groaned as Gosalyn cried pitifully. "Aww forget it! Room! Now! Get out of here!" Negaduck didn't bother to kick her upstairs. He was far to frustrated.

Gosalyn grinned and shook out her tears as soon as his back was turned. She ran to the room, and slammed the door. He would not follow. He would just fume. She was a little disappointed that Ace's plan hadn't worked, but she knew it wouldn't.

"Soon…I will find a way." Gosalyn laughed to herself. "Watch your back, Negaduck. One day it will be my arrow at it." She nodded to herself and walked to her bed. She pulled out a drawing of a dark colored duck, dressed in the same outfit as her kidnapper. She grinned at it.

"I'll miss you, Arch, but you are as bad as him. But, somewhere out there is a hero." She sighed and hugged the picture to her chest. "Darkwing Duck…"

* * *

><p>AN: A year later. I am so sorry for the delay. Sometimes life throws you a curveball, and this chapter was a huge curveball, as well as the entire year. Suffice to say, my life was really crazy, and I didn't come back to this for a while. But, it is finally done. It probably isn't the best, but at least it is finally here. I hope you enjoyed it. Here is hoping the next won't be as long.

I realize it is also a bit depressing, though I struggled to keep it as light as I could. You can probably guess what kind of year I had from this writing. It was just as depressing.

And so Bushroot's family is revealed. I know you all guessed it near the end. I pretty much gave it the ol' sledgehammer instead of subtly. But, I hope you find redeeming factors.

_Next time: It is clean up time at the beach! But something lurks in the depths, hungry, and awaiting the time to strike. The Ocean Queen comes…_


	14. Batteries Not Included

Author's Note: Barry, Stu, and Havanna are the work of Bookworm Gal, but borrowing is always an option.

And Editors Note: Again, my personal issues have prevented me from getting you guys a chapter sooner then within a year. Even now the promised Neptunia chapter has to have been completely overhauled as the original concept just wasn't working. It made no damn sense and ended up being a train wreak. Therefor, while the next chapter is going to involve our fishy friend it will be a bit different then the original concept, so hopefully it doesn't look like such a glorious mess. and yeah, from now on no more after chapter summaries of the next installment. I think I pigeonholed myself, which helped contribute to the lack of updates.

Thanks a bunch to Bookworm Gal for writing this next chapter for us. Now I know why tv writers have multiple people working on their shows. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Batteries Not Included

_Two Months Ago…_

He made the final connection to the power grid. His calculations suggested that it wouldn't work, that the energy requirements to charge his creation would be too great to work, but he lacked many other options. Besides, his previous failure at gaining the wealth of the penny-pinching old man was still too fresh in his mind to allow him to even think of giving up. While Launchpad was apparently to dull-minded to think of betrayal, Fenton simply took his invention and charged straight forward with his greed and vendetta against McDuck. He should have just let the thick-skulled goon use the suit, though his concerns at the time about whether or not Launchpad would have been smart enough to operate it made the accountant seem like a wiser option.

Shaking his head to clear it of thoughts of past betrayals and mistakes, Gyro Gearloose focused more on the task at hand. The avian inventor peered through his round glasses at his large creation, trying to see if there was any possible way he could improve it before he began. From his skinny build to his messy red hair, he knew he looked harmless. But between his creation of the Gizmo suit and his newest invention, he also knew that he could be just as dangerous at the hulking goons that tended to look down on the more intellectual types. He could be just as powerful or rich as them, though it wasn't just the money that he was interested in. That was just a bonus. He was far more interested in the science and how he could make the laws of physics sit down and shut up.

"Helper, did you finish calibrating the systems yet?" he asked.

Gyro glanced over to see his companion give him a thumbs up. Once upon a time, the inventor realized that he tended to forget or overlook certain problems with his plans. He might be a genius after all, but his common sense sometimes got left behind in the pursuit of his newest creations. So he created Little Helper, a small robot that would assist him. Not only was the robot intelligent enough for Gyro to delegate certain tasks to during their operations, but it served to point out flaws in his designs or plans before they could bring things crashing down around them. The only problem was that the lightbulb-headed machine didn't have any way to speak, the sort of oversight that Gyro invented him to help prevent in the future. Still, between hand gestures, body language, and a notepad, communication was well-established.

"All right, then. Let's see if we can charge it," he said, flipping the switch.

A loud hum filled the air, giving the inventor hope momentarily. Then, everything went dark except for the light of Little Helper's head. Gyro rubbed his head in frustration. He'd managed to black out the entire city of Duckburg. Again.

"Their power requirements are just too great. The city's power grid can't handle the stress without overloading the connections," he muttered to himself. "I could try going to the power plant directly, but there are still no guarantees. And my invention can't be charged slowly over a long period of time. It isn't designed that way. At this rate, I'd have an easier time getting the gold in Scrooge's Bastion by tunneling with spoons. Of course, that would give him more time to rebuild his fortune after Fenton raided it…"

His wandering thoughts were interrupted as Little Helper tugged at the hem of his pants and handed over something. Gyro peered through the darkness, the glow from his robot's head providing enough illumination to identify the object as a page from the newspaper. It even had a coffee stain from that morning. The article and the picture initially didn't seem important, but he'd created Little Helper to help her realize critical information that the inventor might at first miss. After a moment of careful study, Gyro realized exactly what his companion wanted him to notice.

"Tesla's coils! That's just what I need," he exclaimed before scooping up Little Helper and chuckling cheerfully. "That's perfect, Helper. That'll solve the entire problem. Of course, I'll have to make some modifications to the machine. And we'll have to figure out the best way to gain our new power source, but it should work. It'll just take some planning. A little bribery, maybe? And a distraction. It'll have to be a good one, though. Something no one could ignore, but one that won't run the risk of turning out badly for us. Wouldn't want another Gizmoduck running around, would we?"

* * *

><p><em>One Month Ago…<em>

There were only two reasons why Negaduck was meeting with the egg-head from Duckburg. The first was because Launchpad worked with that Gyro Gearloose before. Of course, he'd also worked with Gizmoduck before, but that didn't mean Negaduck had any intention of letting that tin-suited freak anywhere near his turf again. But Launchpad assured him that Gyro was too much of a brainiac to care about causing too much trouble.

Sure, the inventor wasn't above trying to steal McDuck's fortune, but it wasn't because the guy was obsessed with being rich or because he loved spreading a little chaos to the world. No, the geek just wanted to show off how smart he was. He wanted to prove that his inventions were better than anyone else's. He wanted to do it for science. And while Negaduck had met (and killed) plenty of scientists, it was kind of amusing what those with no ethics could come up with. Morality, power, people's lives, and common sense were apparently tossed out the window when it came to the ruthless pursuit of Gyro's brilliant ideas. And Negaduck had to kind of respect that kind of single-minded dedication, though that didn't stop him from keeping a chainsaw within arm's reach while waiting for Launchpad's "old friend."

The second reason why he agreed to this stupid meeting was because the geek promised a present that he thought Negaduck would appreciate. A destructive and dangerous present. And no one who loved mayhem and chaos as much as Negaduck would ever think about turning down the deadly invention of amoral inventor without at least finding out what he was offering first.

He was waiting at an old warehouse near the docks. He wasn't stupid enough to invite a brainiac anywhere near where the rest of his people were. Gyro could have some sort of brainwashing device that could take over their weak minds and turn them against Negaduck. Or he could just dangle something shiny in front of their eyes and distract them. Either way, Negaduck held few doubts that the genius inventor could cause trouble if he wanted. That was the problem with dealing with smart people; they could easily outwit the hired muscle.

"Hello there, Mr. Negaduck," the skinny inventor greeted cheerfully as he entered the warehouse, shoving a large box into the room.

From the ugly yellow hat on his red hair to the soles of his shoes, Negaduck already hated the nerd. The cheerful demeanor only made it worse. Where was the cringing in fear? His reputation should have reduced Gyro to a stuttering mess upon arrival. It was probably Gizmoduck's fault somehow. That nerd made the tin-suit, so he probably that that loser was as scary as things got. Well, before he left, Negaduck would make sure the geek knew that he was far worse that Gizmoduck could even dream of being.

"Did you have any trouble finding the place?" he continued. "I thought you'd prefer a location on your turf, so meeting in St. Canard made sense. On the other hand, I wanted somewhere away from your more usual haunts so you wouldn't be tempted to bring too many people with you and accidentally draw too much attention to this meeting. Of course, we also needed a location that—"

"Shut up!" Negaduck snapped, revving up the chainsaw. "I didn't come here to listen to you blather on like an idiot. So either get to the point or I'm cutting your egg-head off your scrawny neck. Got it?"

There was a moment of silence before Gryo muttered, "There's no need to be rude."

He reached into the box and pulled out something beautiful. How the skinny nerd managed to lift it, Negaduck had no idea. But he recognized a flamethrower when he saw one, even one as large and unusual as Gyro's. It was breath-taking. Negaduck could practically smell the burning feathers and flesh already.

"Now this is one of my newer inventions. Essentially, it is a high-powered flamethrower. Not my most impressive, but it certainly makes use of a unique fuel-source," Gyro explained proudly. "Not to mention is can be modified later as an attachment to other machinery. And if you accept my proposal, you can have it."

"And how do you know I won't just kill you and take it anyway?" asked Negaduck, grinning in a manner that was more likely to be seen on the face of a piranha.

"First, you don't know the fuel-source yet. That makes it useless to you. Second, there's a piece missing. I'll mail it to you later with instructions about how to install it. That means, if you want the flamethrower to work, you'll have to let me go after this meeting," he said. "I may sometimes have trouble overlooking key details, but I _am_ still a genius, Mr. Negaduck. It isn't wise to underestimate me."

Chuckling darkly, he lowered his chainsaw and said, "All right, nerd. You have my attention. What do you want?"

"Your permission to work unhindered in St. Canard for a time between four and six weeks," he answered simply. "I thought it would be courteous to inform you since I once worked with Launchpad and, while he might not match my intellect, he didn't stab me in the back like some people. I'd hate to end those relatively good terms by getting into a power struggle with his current employer, especially since I'll only be here for short time." He paused a moment before adding, "I might also need to borrow something of yours."

"What?" asked Negaduck, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"One of your arch enemies," he said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I have some electricity requirements that I'm afraid the city power grid is just not designed to handle. So rather than trying to plug it in again, I've decide to just install a metaphorical battery. And the only battery that might work correctly is currently running around your city in a yellow jumpsuit."

"…Megavolt? You want to capture Megavolt and attach him to your machine?"

"It is the logical solution to my problem and, from what I've heard from Launchpad, he's been an annoyance to you for quite some time. I'm sure that your life would go more smoothly without him on the streets."

Negaduck stared at the inventor, a thoughtful frown on his face. Did the geek really think he was competent enough to hunt down and grab Megavolt? Gyro looked like he'd snap like a twig under the smallest amount of pressure. He might be smart, but that didn't mean he'd be able to fight his way out of a wet paper bag. Plus, Megavolt was part of a team now. Did the nerd expect that snagging a member of the Friendly Four (Negaduck mentally ground his teeth every time he thought about that ridiculous name) would be easy? Well, if Gyro managed to kill himself in the attempt, it was no concern of Negaduck as long as he got his flamethrower first. And if he somehow managed to kidnap Megavolt by some miracle…

"What you plan to do with him… will it hurt?" he asked.

"Possibly. I mean, I've studied what I could about the mechanics of his electricity powers. The material is scarce, though, and I'm not a biologist by nature. He seems to have an adverse effect to water and that would theoretically be a manner where most of his electricity is removed, though my technique is far more efficient and controlled. I suppose it could be painful. Perhaps extremely."

"_Good_," grinned Negaduck. "I want him to suffer. Will he survive playing battery for your machine?"

"Does it matter? I mean, it would for me. A rechargeable battery is far more useful than a disposable one, but does it matter to you if he survives the process?"

"Not at all," he said. "Do whatever you want to him. You have my blessing to make any member of that team as miserable as you want."

Gyro grinned cheerful, "I'm so glad to hear that, Mr. Negaduck. I may have to outsource a distraction to keep his teammates busy, but I'll make sure they know not to bother you or your employees." The inventor started to head toward the door, "Thank you again for everything."

"Hey, don't forget the flamethrower!" he shouted. "You're supposed to tell me what fuels this baby."

"Frosting," the inventor shouted back before disappearing from sight.

Negaduck stared at his newly-acquired flamethrower with far less enthusiasm than a moment before. Frosting? The geek gave him a _frosting_-powered flamethrower? Who invented something that idiotic? Why would you want to use cake frosting to set someone on fire? Where would you find enough frosting to make it worth the effort? It was insane. Who in their right mind would do such a thing? A frosting-powered flamethrower was right up there with the crazy toy-based ideas that the demented clown used.

For a brief moment, Negaduck seriously considered the idea of chasing Gyro down and shredding him with his chainsaw. He felt cheated and _no one_ was allowed to cheat him and survive. Then he took a step back and considered. He technically did have access to a lot of frosting. The bakery with the portal to the other universe certainly offered plenty of fuel for his new flamethrower. And besides, it wasn't wise to look a gift weapon in the mouth. If he couldn't figure out a way to use his new method of destruction in the Negaverse, there was always another universe of possibilities. If he couldn't find a way to cause mayhem with a flamethrower, even one with a less-than-ideal fuel source, then he should consider himself a failure and just retire.

Besides, if he killed Gyro, he wouldn't get to see if the skinny brainiac could actually pull off his plan. If nothing else, it could be entertaining.

* * *

><p><em>One Week Ago…<em>

Cara Foxworthy was in the family business and was rather happy with it. It was fun and if there was one thing she liked to do, it was have fun. Of course, the family business in this case was tomb raiding and stealing from museums. It was the sort of thing the vixen was good at. She was smart enough to scout out targets for security concerns first, brave enough to risk ancient traps and night guards, adventurous enough to travel to exotic lands to plunder their riches, and pretty enough that looking a little teary-eyed and innocent was enough to convince even the most stern authority figure that she couldn't have _possibly_ committed whatever crime they were investigating. The last trait was the reason that she would have been an actor if her current line of work wasn't just so profitable.

It all started with her grandmother, Myra Foxworthy. Born in the small desert country of Aridia, Myra wanted something better than to live in the pitiful and desolate location her entire life. She studied and researched everything she could borrow (or steal) until she found exactly what she was looking for. Cara remembered the story, though some of the details were fuzzy. There was something about an upside-down pyramid, a mummy and a curse, and some bribable pilot who gave her a lift out of there in exchange for some of the treasure buried inside that pyramid. Regardless, that was the start of Myra's efforts to steal ancient artifacts from tombs and museums alike.

The Foxworthy family didn't just steal anything, however. Regular gold and jewels were fenced for quick cash, but the more valuable objects were hoarded for their own use. The ancient people of various cultures often left behind objects of magic in one form or another. Cursed and bewitched objects were collected by the generations of Foxworthy family members. They studied their power and learned how to use them in order to steal other artifacts. While none of them may be witches, they could now be just as dangerous when it came to magic. But they were always on the lookout for other objects of power. Or at least, opportunities.

It wasn't magic that brought Cara to the warehouse that day. No, it was opportunity. It wasn't always easy to pull a heist alone. After all, even her grandmother employed the use of a pilot and the child navigator for her first effort. While she wasn't foolish enough to kindle friendships among the more morally-flexible elements, Cara did understand the idea of allies and alliances for a common purpose. She might not trust random criminals or the super villains that were popping out of the woodwork, she knew that developing some possible connections might be useful.

Gyro Gearloose knew technology. She knew magic, or at least magical artifacts. Their combined knowledge covered a lot of ground. Someday she might require the services of someone who understood machines and such. It would be smart to nurture a connection to the man in case she ever needed him. So when he contacted her through someone who would buy and sell various objects of questionable legality, she decided to see what he wanted.

The warehouse smelled like fish. Cara didn't know if it was just due to the proximity to the docks or if it once stored fish before Gyro claimed it for himself. Regardless, there didn't seem to be any fish inside it now. Instead, there was a huge machine in the middle of the room.

The thing was mounted on a set of huge tires that look like they might have been stolen from a monster truck. Near the front was a huge parabolic dish that looked capable of picking up transmissions from another planet. Near the back was a computer screen that could have been showing gibberish for all she knew. There also seemed to be a huge switch, which certainly fit into her mental view of all things science-related. On top of the machine were several thick cables that snaked their way over to a separate platform a short distance away. There, she saw a large glass orb that reminded her of an oversized light bulb. Except most light bulbs didn't have what appeared to be a rack inside. At least, it reminded the history expert of a vertical version of the historic torture device. Granted, it didn't seem designed to stretch someone's limbs out of their sockets, but it did have cuffs to bind someone's arms and legs in place and the wires attached looked a little unnerving.

"Oh good, you're here," Gyro greeted cheerfully as he stepped around his machine. There was a small robot with a light bulb for a head, barely larger than his hand, following beside him. He continued, "Welcome to St. Canard. What do you think of it so far?"

She shrugged, "I've been in worse place. I know you usually hang around Duckburg, so what brings you across the bay?"

"An errand. I need something that can only be found in St. Canard. I've already sorted things out with Mr. Negaduck, so you won't have to worry about him being upset with us being here. It isn't wise to antagonize short-tempered and violent people, after all." He chuckled a moment before continuing, "I have a little job for you, Ms. Foxworthy. I need a distraction. Something large enough to grab the attention of the local heroes of the city and keep them out of my way for a while. And rumor has it that you might be able to help with that."

Crossing her arms, she said, "That depends. What do I get out of it?"

The small robot handed her a sheet of paper. Cara took it cautiously, watching the small machine in case it turned out to be dangerous. When the robot didn't do anything else, she looked at what it gave her. It seemed to be a pamphlet about the local history museum.

"While many of the more… obviously valuable artifacts have already been stolen by the local criminals, those that aren't made with gold and gemstones are still there. I don't know if there is anything there for your collection, but I'm sure that you could at least take the opportunity to scout it out for future heists," Gyro explained. "In addition, if everything is successful from end, you can have fifteen percent of the total profits?"

"Excuse me? Fifteen percent? That's it?"

"Considering how small your role is in this endeavor, that's actually quite fair. On the other hand, since my invention will eventually be used against Scrooge McDuck's Money Bastion, I would think that fifteen percent would be enough to keep you comfortable for some time."

When Gyro said that, Cara had to force herself to remain composed. It wouldn't do for her to look like a brunette bundle of excitement during negotiations. Even if it was known that Gizmoduck took a huge portion of McDuck's fortune, it was also known that the mechanical terror was no longer hunting the old man down and that Scrooge was actually rebuilding his funds quite quickly. Even fifteen percent of a financially-damaged McDuck was more money than most people knew what to do with. And all she had to do to earn it was to serve as a distraction. Cara smiled to herself. She knew the perfect trinket from her family's collection to do the job.

"So I take this free time to scout out the museum for future heists, make a distraction when you ask that will capture everyone's attention, and then collect fifteen percent when you rob McDuck later. I think I can do that," she said. "When do you need me to make a scene?"

Gyro handed her a walkie-talkie, "I'll call you. Just make sure you're ready, Ms. Foxworthy."

"Don't worry. I will be."

* * *

><p><em>Present…<em>

"You are aware that a constant diet of fast food isn't exactly healthy for you," remarked Liquidator as he watched the two members of the team that still ate normal food argue about dinner.

"It isn't all the time," Megavolt said, glancing over to the liquid canine. "Besides, the food is cheap and quick."

"Hence the term 'fast food'," he interrupted.

"Plus, you don't have to cook it. Crack open a cookbook sometimes. Not only do those things get complicated fast, but far too many of those recipes involve adding some sort of liquid in ingredients. Thanks, but no thanks," he continued. "I'll stick with takeout."

"Not every recipe involves adding water," commented Bushroot from his work station. No one had asked yet what he was working on at the moment, but it certainly seemed to have most of his attention that day. "Besides, I'm the one who usually ends up cooking anyway."

"That's not the point. I kind of like fast food after all this time," Megavolt said. "What I don't like is when someone tries to determine what we'll have on the menu based only on what kind of toys come with the meal."

"Come on, Megsy, you have to admit that these just are plain poor quality," stated Quackerjack.

The clown was perched on the edge of the couch with two handfuls of plastic objects from the two main restaurants they were debating about. Quackerjack seem to take the "shoddy quality" offered to children at Pizza Palace in comparison to those available at Hippo Burger as an indicator that nothing good could come from that place.

It wasn't even that Megavolt disliked Hippo Burger or that he wanted pizza that day. What really drove the argument was the fact that he'd somehow been forced to hear every flaw about the cheap toys in great detail. Megavolt knew that toy quality was a big deal to someone who made the things, but it shouldn't be a deciding factor on what they should eat that day. The things came free with a kid's meal. They were meant to be cheap and quickly-made, not something expensive and long-lasting. But the worst part about the whole argument was that _somehow_ Quackerjack's point about how someone who didn't care about the quality of their toys might care equally little about their food products was beginning to _make sense_.

Before he was dragged down into the clown's brand of logic, Megavolt shook his head, "Okay, okay, I'll go to Hippo Burger. But we have to get pizza next time. And you're not allowed to say one more word about either restaurant's toys."

"Fine," muttered Quackerjack, crossing her arms. "I guess I'll have my usual."

"You know he'll do the exact same argument next time," remarked Liquidator quietly as the rodent headed out of the greenhouse. "You both will."

"I know…" Megavolt rolled his eyes. "I'll be back soon, guys."

"It would be simpler if we just cooked," added Bushroot. "It would solve the toy argument at least."

He glared at both of his mutant teammates, "Why are you even _involved_ in this? You guys don't eat fast food."

"True, but we _do_ get to see how long each time it takes for you to buckle and go ahead with Quackerjack's preference for dinner. After all, there's nothing interesting on television at the moment," commented Liquidator, prompting the clown to start laughing.

"Remind me to lock you in a freezer sometime," he muttered before finally leaving.

* * *

><p>There were some parts of the city that anyone with any common sense avoided. It was rundown, filled to the brim with crooks and other unsavory characters, the location of various violent crimes, and simply dangerous. It was the section of the city where you never know if the puddle you're stepping over is just water or might be the blood of a recent murder victim. It was where even the toughest characters look over their shoulder just in case. This neighborhood wasn't always as bad as it was now, but the increase in Negaduck's influence was having an effect. Now it was a dangerous place to live.<p>

And for some children, it was the only home they'd ever known.

It was cheap to find a tiny apartment in that neighborhood. No one in their right mind would want to be there, so no one could really ask for expensive rent. And while most parents would prefer to keep their kids far away from such a place, sometimes it was the only location they could afford and they didn't want their families to be homeless just yet. So their parents taught their young children the rules to survive in such a harsh environment.

The first rule was avoid the gangs. Yes, most of the gangs were either being swallowed up or destroyed by the Negaduck's people, but that didn't mean they were completely gone. And the one thing that everyone knew was that getting involved with the gangs was just asking for trouble. So the children were taught to recognize and run away from anyone who might work for Negaduck or one of the other remaining gangs.

The second rule was not to get involved. That was in many ways far more important. The children were told not to go poking their noses into the business of others, especially when crimes were involved. Far too many people would prefer to remove witnesses. If a kid saw, heard, or recognized anything suspicious happen, they were taught to go the other way and never tell a soul. It might seem cruel to expect a child not to mention a robbery they saw or if they thought a neighbor was being attacked, but it was better than the kid ending up face-to-face with a chainsaw-wielding Negaduck.

That wasn't to say that it was a completely frightening experience for the children who grew up in that neighborhood. Like kids all across the world, they had fun and played. Even surrounded by the worst that the city had to offer, they found a way to maintain a level of innocence.

The two older boys, each one about seven, played tag between the rusted parked cars that lined the mostly-deserted street while a young girl, five years old and proud of age, built a small castle out of empty cans. The ursine boy, Barry, was the one being chased at the moment and while the duckling, Stu, divided his attention between catching him and watching his little sister, Havanna. The game would have continued all afternoon if it wasn't for the fact that something caught the girl's attention.

"Stu, look over there," she called pointing towards a gap between the buildings.

When he looked, the duckling caught a glimpse of a yellow figure skating across the electrical lines. It didn't take a genius for him to figure out who it was.

"That's Megavolt," he grinned. "That's so cool."

"Dad says that he and the others are going to get themselves killed one of these days," remarked Barry, trying not to sound so excited to see the local hero. "He also says we should stay away from them. It wouldn't be good to be caught in the crossfire if something happened."

"But I want to see," said Havanna before taking off running.

"Wait!" Stu shouted after, already in pursuit and Barry following after.

While traveling over the electrical lines might be easier than weaving in and out the various alleyways, the trio of children knew the area very well. Not to mention that the girl (and the boys, if they were honest) really wanted to see more of the famous figure that was moving above them. Whether or not Megavolt noticed the trio darting from alley to abandoned building and back, they didn't know. All they cared about was watching the hero for just a few moments longer. After all, just because they knew better than to get involved didn't mean that they couldn't appreciate something from afar.

Just as Stu was about to tell Havanna they needed to stop following, a strange and loud pop startled all three children into diving for cover. Seeking shelter in response to abrupt noises was another skill that they'd learned living in their neighborhood. They caught a glimpse of Megavolt also reacting to the sound just as some kind of cylinder struck him in the back and knocked him off the power lines.

From his position behind a trashcan, Stu could see the hero hit the ground with the cylinder spewing some form of green smoke the entire time. Megavolt tried to stand up after his awkward landing, but it was clear to even the children hiding at a distance that something was wrong. The yellow figure was holding his head and coughing as he stumbled away from the smoke. He managed to kick the canister away with his movements, but the smoke seemed to have already done its job. Megavolt glanced towards something the kids couldn't see and for a moment, Stu saw sparks dance across the rodent's fingertips. Then it stopped and the yellow figure slumped to the ground.

"No," whispered Havanna, smart enough to keep quiet. "What happened?"

"They knocked him out with something," Barry muttered.

"Who?" asked Stu.

The young bear pointed, "Him."

Stepping into view was a skinny, red-haired avian with glasses and a rather pleased smile across his face. In his arms was something that looked like a cross between a rocket launcher and the innards of an old ham radio. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was the device that fired the canister of smoke. He walked up to yellow figure and nudged him with his shoe. When Megavolt didn't react, he chuckled.

"That worked perfectly. I knew it would in theory, but of course it is always important to remember that there's a difference between testing and real-world application," he said cheerfully. He turned back for a moment before turning back the way he came and calling, "Okay, boys, I need you to load him into the truck quickly."

Stu was forced to clamp a hand over his sister's mouth before she could shout in surprise. Two robotic figures stepped into view and grabbed onto the unconscious hero. The machines had large light bulbs for heads and thin, silvery-metal limbs that ended with pinchers for hands. Their feet were like talons, digging slightly into the asphalt as they walked. They looked like something out of an old sci-fi movie or a comic book. The boy edged forward slightly, watching the robots carry Megavolt into the back of a blue van.

Then the red-haired figure walked back to his vehicle and drove away. Within moments, the only sign that something unusual happened there was the three apprehensive children and the claw marks left behind.

* * *

><p>After a week of silence, her walkie-talkie crackled to life with a short message.<p>

"I need a distraction in no more than fifteen minutes."

Perfect timing. Cara smiled to herself as she moved towards the next exhibit.

While it was true that anything made of valuable materials had long since been removed from the museum (mostly thanks to Negaduck's efforts), there was still plenty to see. Broken pottery, ancient tools, and hieroglyphs carved into a rock wall could still be interesting and historians were thankful to still have at least those treasures. Of course, Cara was more interested in what she could use for her coming distraction.

There were a few stone figures of ancient leaders from the past. There were also some rather interesting sculptures of rather attractive heroes of days gone by. But the moment she learned about one particular exhibit, she knew exactly how to get the attention of the Friendly Four.

The description on the wall described the discovery of the tomb of Emperor Chick Pi a few decades ago and how the room was filled with beautiful treasure. And while that treasure was no longer in the museum (the title card didn't say Negaduck did it, but Cara could read between the lines), there was another unique part of the tomb that remained. Each one at least six feet tall and broadly built, the two dozen Terracotta Statues that were created to guard the Emperor's body were certainly impressive to behold. Each one was unique and there were various stories about them. All Cara cared about was how strong the stone statues were. From her scouting missions around the museum, she knew they were the most impressive statues in the entire building and would be perfect for what she needed.

Reaching for the ruby necklace she was wearing, she whispered, "Stone warriors of days gone by, awaken to protect and serve. With all the strength of the mountains, awaken to destroy those who would do the kingdom harm."

She was thankful that at least _some_ magical artifacts were flexible enough to accept different languages as long as they were essentially the same words. Otherwise, she'd be stuck trying to stutter her way through Latin again. And she'd hated learning that language by mail. Stupid correspondence course.

As she finished the English version of the incantation, the eyes of the statues began to glow and the brown-red figures began to step forward. Of course, there was a glass panel blocking the exhibit from the visitors of the museum. That meant the step forward involve smashing through the glass as if it wasn't even there. And the sound of shattering glass meant panic and mayhem as people began to realize that something bad was happening.

Cara smiled and followed her new miniature army out. She had a job to do. And if this didn't work as a distraction, nothing would.

Plus, this could be fun.

* * *

><p>"I'm getting worried," remarked Bushroot, glancing at the clock for the sixth time in ten minutes. "He should have been back by now."<p>

He should have been back fifteen minutes ago. The clown tried to ignore the delay originally, but all of them were familiar by now with the routine. Megavolt would ride along some power lines to Hippo Burger, get the food, and return the same way. It never took long for him to make the trip. The burgers were always still warm and the fries weren't even slightly cold and soggy by the time they started eating. The only time the routine changed was on rainy days where Quackerjack volunteered to make the trip. Those days tended to have slightly-colder food since pogo-stick travel was a little slower and the weather meant keeping the bag dry was a challenge, but it was still good. Regardless, he knew what time Megavolt should have returned and it was long past that point.

"Maybe he took the long way," suggested Liquidator, not sounding even slightly convinced by his words.

"Why would he take the long way?" asked the plant-duck.

"So the food would be cold by the time he got back? Maybe that's his idea for revenge about the argument?" suggested Banana Brain.

Quackerjack shook his head at the doll's words, "He wouldn't be late on purpose, especially when he said he'd be back soon. He knows we'd start wondering what happened."

While he generally didn't worry about things as much as the electric rodent tended to, Quackerjack knew when something wasn't right. He knew that Megavolt should have been back already. Someone disappearing without a word, especially when they'd mentioned being back soon, wasn't something that anyone would do. There were too many things that could go wrong in their line of work. It could be something as simple as him stumbling across a robbery or it could be like the time Stegmutt turned half the team into dinosaurs. At least it was nice to know that someone would go looking for their missing friend if things went wrong.

_Of course, he did spend years without the luxury of someone worrying about him when he got into trouble._

_I know, Headboss, _he commented silently._ But he that doesn't mean we shouldn't worry now. _

_True. _

Tucking away the kid's meal toys from earlier (honestly, if Pizza Palace was going to provide plastic action figures, they could at least use a more durable plastic or at least add some hinges so the limbs could move), Quackerjack turned towards his friends. From the expressions on their faces, he guessed they were silently debating with themselves whether they should be the first ones to say they go look for Megavolt. On the one hand, they were both rather protective in their own way. Bushroot because he was just such a nice guy that he cared about making sure everyone in his little makeshift family was safe at all times and Liquidator because he'd already had the most important people in his life snatched away and his parental instinct was still rather strong. On the other hand, both also knew that Megavolt could take care of himself and had been doing so for years before either of them gained superpowers. If it turned out to be nothing, then they might feel a little silly about possibly getting concerned over something small like dinner being late.

Happily, Quackerjack had absolutely no problem with being the first to declare they charge out there and find Megavolt. He _knew_ something was wrong and he wasn't afraid to tell Megsy he was worried when they found him. And if by some miracle it turned out that everything was fine and Megavolt was annoyed by everyone freaking out about him being late, then the clown fully intended to blame Mr. Banana Brain for suggesting something was wrong. Quackerjack was certain he could convince Mr. Banana Brain to back his story if necessary.

As the clown opened his mouth, a new noise captured the trio's attention. The show about fishing that was previously showing on the mostly-ignored television had been replaced by a breaking news story at the same time that the police scanner began to react. The two voices practically blended together into nonsense, but he distinctly heard the words "living statues at the museum." And from his knowledge about the city's geography, Quackerjack was fairly certain that the museum was in the exact opposite direction of that Megavolt would have gone to fetch food.

"Anyone else think the timing's a little too convenient?" asked Bushroot, prompting both Quackerjack and Liquidator to raise their hands.

"Someone wants to distract us from looking for Megavolt," the liquid canine remarked. "I'm almost certain of it."

"Unfortunately, we can't exactly ignore a bunch of statues running amok either," he said. "This is not good."

Pulling out his pogo-stick, Quackerjack said, "You two go to the museum. I'll go track down Megsy."

Before either of them could argue and question his solution, the clown was already bouncing away.

* * *

><p>Waking up with a pounding headache was never fun. Adding the fact that something was clamped tightly to his wrists and ankles did little to make the situation better. And oddly, there was a faint smell of fish. In summary, Megavolt was not in the best moods as he opened his eyes.<p>

"Did someone getting the number for that truck that hit me?" he muttered as he tried to figure out what happened. Then, once he got the first glimpse of his surroundings, he added, "And why am I in a giant light bulb?"

"Well, it isn't exactly a light bulb," a voice corrected abruptly, startling the electrical rodent. A red-haired avian stepped into view, adjusting his glasses, "But it is made of rather thick glass, though. After all, glass is an insulator and will keep electricity from escaping. Of course, so does rubber, but it isn't exactly a useful material for constructing a large and sturdy container. Though placing you inside wasn't exactly easy. The glass orb actually has to be screwed into the base, which is admittedly sort of like a light bulb. Still, I wouldn't want someone as fascinating as you to get away before we're finished here. Tell me, does your body serve more as a living capacitor or do you actually produce the electricity that you use?"

"Excuse me?"

Chuckling slightly to himself, the stranger said, "I'm so sorry. That was terribly rude of me. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Gyro Gearloose. I'm an inventor." He gestured beside him and a small robot walked over to him, "And this is Little Helper, my assistant. Of course, everyone in this city knows who Megavolt is."

He spared a moment to yank at the cuffs binding him in place. While they didn't look too complicated to remove if he could get at least one hand free, they were still secure enough that he couldn't even manage that much. Experimentally, he let a quick spark of electricity out, but it merely flickered around the glass orb uselessly before hitting the metal rack and returning to him. Sighing in frustration and resigned to the fact he was stuck for the moment, he glanced back towards his captor.

"You knocked me out," he said, stating a fact rather than making an accusation.

He shrugged, "You wouldn't have come if you just asked. But my night-night gun did exactly what it was supposed to."

"You know, most mad scientist have an insane laugh instead of a chuckle," he commented dryly before turning his attention back to the rest of the room.

It appeared to be a mostly-empty warehouse. At one end of it was a desk covered in blueprints and spare mechanical parts. Next to it were three large crates with the tops missing, though Megavolt couldn't see what was inside from where he was trapped. The biggest and most interesting thing in the room, however, was a rather large machine that seemed to be connected to the glass orb by a cable that ran from the top of the device to the bottom of glass container. Judging by the wires attached to the cuffs, the electric rodent was beginning to have some rather uncomfortable suspicions about his role.

* * *

><p>"And the day started out so nicely," remarked Bushroot as he and Liquidator arrived at the museum.<p>

Standing in front of the building was brown-haired vixen in comfortable khaki pants and a tight black blouse. Around her neck was a necklace with a ruby pendant. She certainly didn't look like someone who would normally be hanging around two dozen living stone statues. The red-brown figures marched forward, eyes glowing red as they headed for the newly-arrived heroes.

"Remember the days when we didn't think magic existed?" said Liquidator. "I miss those days."

"Have fun, boys," the brunette woman called to the statues. "Make sure they remember Cara Foxworthy." She laughed briefly, "Being the super-villain is fun. No wonder so many people try it."

* * *

><p><em>Do you actually have any idea how we're supposed to find him, Quackerjack?<em>

"Nope," he answered as he directed his pogo-stick along the usual route that his friend might take to reach the nearest Hippo Burger. "I'm just going to look."

_Brilliant_, commented Headboss with way too much sarcasm. _You're just a natural detective._

"If you have all the answers, then what do you suggest?"

_Look for things out of the ordinary. Signs of battle, perhaps. If someone did something to Megavolt, it is unlikely he went down without a fight._

"You're the boss."

Of course, as he bounced nearer the less pleasant part of the city, it grew difficult to spot what might be the result of something bad happening to his friend and what was merely a demonstration of the degeneration of that corner of St. Canard. Most people would have taken a more scenic route to avoid the neighborhood, but Megavolt and Quackerjack never bothered. Not only did their preferred methods of travel keep them away from the issues that might develop at the street level, but they were also the sort of people the creeps and criminals that dwelled there tried to avoid. A hero occasionally moving through the area might help discourage a few people from doing anything foolish. Still, the neighborhood was a far cry from where the clown once lived.

"I still don't see anything," complained Quackerjack after several minutes of scouring the area via pogo-stick.

_Keep looking. There has to be something._

The clown glanced back towards his surroundings while trying to ignore how concerned Headboss just sounded. Then he spotted something that could certainly be considered out of the ordinary.

"Why are there huge scratches in the road?" he asked, bringing his bouncing to a stop.

"The cost of filling the city's potholes is too great?" suggested Mr. Banana Brain.

_Seriously?_

Looking a little closer at the marks, Quackerjack noticed they looked rather recent. He couldn't think of any normal reason for there to be deep gashes in the street. That meant there was probably an _abnormal_ reason for them. And since his team was probably the most abnormal group of people around that could only mean it was somehow connected to Megavolt's disappearance.

_I'm not quite sure that logic is particular sound, but I am inclined to agree that it could be related._

"So I guess this counts as a clue," the clown stated. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure what it means." Tilting his head at it for a moment, he suggested, "Maybe Megsy was carried off by a giant killer bird."

_Highly doubtful. Besides, even if there was a bird with the wingspan large enough to lift a person would need larger talons to support its weight at rest. Whatever left those marks was not a giant killer bird._

"But they do look like talons of some kind. Or footprints made by taloned feet. Look," he pointed at the gashes in the asphalt. "There were two of them."

…_All right, perhaps you aren't a complete failure as a detective._

Quackerjack spared a moment to do a back flip of victory concerning his discovery. His brief act of acrobatics, however, produced an unexpected result. As he landed easily, there was a gasp of astonishment from the direction of a nearby trashcan. It only took the clown a second to cover the distance between his position and the source of the noise. When he looked around the dented container, he found himself face to face with three sets of startled eyes.

* * *

><p>"So I'm guessing from the giant parabolic dish on that machine that this is another 'I have a Death ray' plan," said Megavolt slowly.<p>

"A death ray? You make it sound so boring," Gyro remarked. "No, I created something far more interesting and complicated than a death ray. Besides, what could be the benefit of that?"

"Okay, I'll bite. What is it?"

Looking excited to explain the mechanics of his device to an audience, the inventor said, "I'm sure that you're at least familiar with the basics of subatomic particles, correct? Everything in the universe is composed of atoms and the various elements are made up of various numbers of protons, neutrons, and electrons. For example, hydrogen has a single proton while iron has twenty-six of them and gold has seventy-nine. Furthermore, the positive charge of the protons attracts a similar number of negatively-charged electrons to orbit them while the neutrons that possess no charge join the protons in the center of the atom. All of this is rather basic."

"Yeah, I get it. Can we skip ahead of the high school science class and get to your point."

"Of course," the red-haired inventor said before walking over to his device and typing something into a computer screen. "I suppose that your remark about death rays could be considered partially accurate. And since I hadn't really chosen a name for my invention yet, I should thank you for the inspiration."

Narrowing his eyes at Gyro, Megavolt asked, "So what are you planning to call it."

"The Atomic Death Ray."

* * *

><p>"You're Quackerjack."<p>

There were three children hiding behind a trashcan. There was something fundamentally wrong with the idea of kids lurking around with the garbage. It made him want to drag the two duckling and young bear to a toy store and turn them loose in it. Or at least take them to a playground. Anything to fix the situation. It was upsetting to him. Especially since the little girl had clearly been crying recently.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"You're Quackerjack," the little girl repeated. "You're one of the Friendly Four."

The older duckling tugged at her arm, "Havanna, we need to get out of here."

"Havanna. That's a pretty name," the clown said slowly. "Why were you crying earlier?"

"Because they took Meg—" she started to explain before the young bear covered her mouth.

"Quiet," he urged. "We shouldn't get involved. That only leads to trouble."

"You know what Mom said," the other boy, possibly her brother, added urgently. "We've stayed here too long. We need to get out of here."

_They know something_, said Headboss. _They saw something, but they're too scared to say anything. Did you hear what she started to say?_

Quackerjack nodded, "You saw Megavolt, didn't you?" When all three children looked guilty, he continued, "You know what happened to him. And since you don't want to tell me, it has to be something bad."

"We can't get involved," the young bear repeated, his tone making it clear that this sentence is something he's carefully memorized for times of trouble.

They were scared and that was just wrong in Quackerjack's opinion. Children shouldn't be sad or scared. He couldn't risk his usual behavior to cheering them up. They looked too skittish. He needed to stay quieter and less energetic, something he didn't normally do and yet would try his best in an instant if that was what it took to make the kids less scared. Making children happy who he was at his core. And while most of his current toys on hand might be of the more deadly variety, he wasn't completely without options.

Taking a brief moment to be thankful to Hippo Burger for caring about the quality of the toys for their kid's meals, he pulled out one of the toys from earlier like a magician drawing a rabbit from a hat. It was just a small metal car with wheels that turned, but the children stared at the toy as if it was made of gold. With a friendly smile, he passed it over to the young bear. The boy broke out into a tentative smile in return as he stared at the tiny red vehicle in his hand.

"I'm not asking you to go charging into the middle of danger," he said kindly. "I wouldn't do that. I just want to know what you saw."

"But we shouldn't," the other boy said, still staring at the toy car in his friend's grip. "Mom and Dad say that we could get in trouble that way. Bad guys don't like witnesses."

Children shouldn't have to worry about those things. He didn't know if this was entirely Negaduck's fault or if these three children would still be afraid even if he'd never been born. Regardless, Quackerjack didn't like it. And while he couldn't change the city immediately and he couldn't make every street and neighborhood perfectly safe for children to play by morning, he _could_ make these three kids a little happier and perhaps feel a little safer.

This time, he pulled out a tiny green T-rex. It was still a cheap toy from a restaurant and certainly nowhere near the quality he could have produced, but it was made of a durable plastic and the tiny arms could turn in their sockets. These children deserved the more impressive toys that Quakerjack designed and built, but these would have to work for now. They were certainly better than nothing (and definitely better than the ones from Pizza Palace).

"No one will have to know you told me," he said, handing the toy over the boy duckling. "It'll be a secret. And I'm a hero. I wouldn't let something bad happen to you." The two boys looked up from their new toys, doubt still clear on their expressions. Maintaining his quieter demeanor for the moment, he added, "Our friend is missing and we're worried about him. Can you tell me what you saw? Please?"

"They took him," the girl blurted out. When the other duckling looked at her, she said, "We have to help him, Stu. We can't let something bad happen to the heroes. Who'd stop the bad guys?"

Stu shook his head, "Fine. Just promise that no one will find out we said anything."

"Promise," grinned Quackerjack. "Cross my heart and hope to be stuck inside Spike's mouth for a week."

This produced a few giggles, which felt comforting to the clown after so many bleak looks from the kids. However, some of his enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that Megavolt was definitely in trouble.

"We saw him, Megavolt, traveling on those power lines," explained the young bear. "Havanna was excited about it, so we followed for a little while. Then, this guy fired some kind of canister of green smoke at him and knocked him out."

"Then he had bad robots pick him up and carrying him to a blue van," the girl added.

"They're the ones who made the weird marks in the road," the other boy said.

Havanna continued, "The bad man drove away with him and the robots."

Stu said, "The guy was really tall and skinny. He was wearing glasses and a yellow hat. He has red hair. He's some kind of bird. Not a duck. The bill was wrong. Maybe a chicken?"

_While helpful, I don't know if there's anything we can use to point us in the right direction._

"Anything else?" asked Quackerjack, hoping for at least one more clue.

"The whole thing was fishy," the young ursine said.

"Well, yeah. Kidnapping people in the middle of the day is a little unusual," he said.

"No, not that kind of fishy," said the boy. "There was a smell of fish on the red-haired guy and the robots. It wasn't really strong, but I have a great sense of smell."

_The docks?_ suggested Headboss. _There are warehouses around there that would have once stored fish. It might explain the smell. Furthermore, that would offer an ideal location to avoid attention and would provide plenty of room for whatever they might need._

"Sounds like the perfect place for our kidnapper," stated Quakerjack, drawing some confused looks from the kids.

Pulling out a final toy, a plastic duckling doll with a hinge at the waist and arms to provide movement and brushable hair, he handed it to Havanna. The huge grin from the girl as she looked at the real fabric dress and the pose-able limbs was wonderful.

"You better head home, kids," he said, pulling back out his pogo-stick. "I, on the other hand, have a teammate to find."

* * *

><p>"You're going to call it an Atomic Death Ray? Why not go the whole nine yards and add some Tesla coils to the room? Or start ranting about how everyone called you 'mad' and how you're going to show them all?"<p>

Gyro chuckled again. Honestly, somehow the chuckling annoyed Megavolt more than a full-blown villain laugh. Of course, it might have something to do with the fact the inventor seem merely mildly amused by the situation while the electrical rodent was stuck inside giant light bulb. It was hard to maintain any form of heroic dignity while strung up like a helpless damsel. At least no one was tossing him into water or something similar yet.

"I'm going to call it an Atomic Death Ray because it will cause the death of atoms. Metaphorically speaking, of course," Gyro said. "Though, if I fired it at a person, it would kill them. But that's not its main purpose. It will take atoms and split it into its separate subatomic particles. For example, I could aim it at a brick wall and every atom in that wall would divide into three groups: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Essentially, the wall would be disintegrated, but without breaking that silly law about matter not being able to be created or destroyed. The same amount of matter would exist; it just wouldn't be in an atomic form any longer."

While Megavolt was still upset about being kidnapped and strung up by the guy, part of him was now rather intrigued by his invention. He had to admit that it was certainly cleverer than most "I have a Death Ray" scenarios. And the science that would be involved in creating something capable of what he was describing would be interesting.

"Could I see some of your blueprints?" he found himself asking almost against his will.

"Of course," said Gyro. "Just give me a moment."

* * *

><p>It was official. Solid stone statues were insanely hard to fight.<p>

Any attempt to tangle them with vines was useless because they simply ripped their way free. Blasts of water barely slowed them down. And while a thick tree or hard water might be able to block a hit from one of the things, they were still managing to shrug off most of the heroes attempts. And while Liquidator couldn't really be hurt by the physical blows, Bushroot knew he was going to be sore in the morning.

"Any ideas?" asked the liquid canine as he tried to blast another of the stone statues out of striking range.

"Not any good ones," Bushroot answered as he urged another group of vines to grab a stone figure's ankles.

_Brother, you are thinking too much like an animal._

_What?_ He asked as he ducked beneath another swing from his opponents.

_Brute force will not work. This is not a danger to be attacked directly._

_I don't understand…_

_They are stone. The hard and compact earth. They are the mountain, the boulder, the ground beneath everyone. Animals cannot conquer the mountain. They strike hard and fast, but do little more than chip a tiny piece away before admitting defeat._

_These guys are striking just as hard and fast, _commented Bushroot as another blow knocked him back.

_A thrown stone my bruise a leaf or even crush a stem, but stone is still an enemy that the Green knows well and has defeated time and time again._

"I think there might be a way to win this," said Bushroot.

"You have an idea?" Liquidator asked, shifting around another of the statues.

"Not me."

_How do we defeat them?_

_Roots bury, thicken, and grow. Stone cracks, shatters, and crumbles._

Weathering. Stone could be broken apart by growing plants. Or, a grin formed on Bushroot's face as he looked at his companion, worn away by water. After all, that was how a river would carve a canyon. They just needed to speed up the process.

"Do you think you can make a whirlpool?" he asked.

There was a moment of confusion across his liquid features before realization apparently set in. The Liquidator gave a brief nod before aiming for half the group. Bushroot focused on the other half and urged plants to latch on in a more useful manner.

* * *

><p>There were several warehouses near the docks. Quackerjack didn't let that discourage him. After all, it was certainly easier than searching the entire city. That was one version of hide-and-seek he'd rather not try. A strange sense of urgency pushing him forward, the toy-making clown moved towards the first building on his list.<p>

* * *

><p>While he'd have preferred not to have his limbs bound while studying the blueprints through the glass of his prison, Megavolt was still rather happy to take a look. The thing was a masterpiece. There were so many amazing engineering ideas and the solutions to various problems that could have occurred in the design were inspired. If his surroundings were more pleasant, he would have been perfectly content to look at the blueprints all day.<p>

"And you can program it to leave certain elements alone?"

The inventor nodded from where he held the blueprint, "If I have a target with a wide variety of components present, I can program it to recognize a specific element and separate every other one. For example, I could have anything that wasn't made of gold or silver destroyed while leaving the more valuable metals behind. Imagine how easy mining would be."

After several moments, he frowned, "These ideas are genius, but I have a question. The power requirements to separate the positive and negative particles must be extreme."

"Indeed," Gyro nodded.

"And your design seems to have some rather… unique solutions for handling the power output during activation. But wouldn't it cause some serious issues during the charging process? I mean, if I'm reading this correctly," He remarked, "the entire thing wouldn't work if you tried to charge the device gradually over time. It has to be charged over a short time period, no more than a couple of minutes at maximum. But most sources of electricity wouldn't be able to transfer that power that quickly without overloading something. It would be able to hold the charge for quite some time, which means you could transport your device to a target later. But charging it in the first place is a problem. I suppose you could try a bolt of lightning, but that would provide another set of issues."

"Yes, I've tried more standard methods of charging my invention. Sadly, all that did was cause a blackout of Duckburg," he said. "I started to wonder if I'd ever be able to make my invention work. And if I couldn't charge the device, how would I ever use it to gain access to McDuck's Money Bastion and steal its contents?"

Oh, right. Crazy bad guy. Megavolt had grown too distracted by the amazing scientific achievement and the wonderful blueprints that he'd nearly forgotten that he was being held captive by the cheerful inventor who apparently had aspirations of also being a thief.

And since the hero _was _a source of electricity…

"You think I can charge your invention."

"That's the plan."

* * *

><p>The tides had turned. The plant-covered statues were breaking apart as their fast growth drove roots into every weak point. Meanwhile, Liquidator's targets were being ground to sand against each other inside the swirling liquid. Granted, they'd probably just destroyed a lot of ancient history. Bushroot was almost positive the statues were from the museum. Still, it was better than letting the entire city suffer from the things going on a rampage.<p>

The plant-duck spared a moment to look towards the source of the chaos. The woman who identified herself earlier as Cara Foxworthy looked absolutely shocked by the battle had shifted. But what really caught Bushroot's attention was the necklace around her neck. He hadn't noticed before, but he could now see that the ruby pendant was glowing slightly, just like the eyes of the statues. And while he didn't consider himself an expert on all these magic stuff, Bushroot was willing to bet that there was a connection.

A quick mental nudge to one of the closer vines resulted in the plant snagging the necklace off her before she had a chance to react. The instant it was removed, every remaining statue stopped moving and the light faded from their eyes. Bushroot asked another vine to restrain Cara as the Liquidator halted his aquatic cyclone.

"Well, this was fun, but I'm done for the day," she remarked, shifting slightly against the plants holding her prisoner. Bushroot caught a glimpse of her pulling something out of her pocket before she said, "Home."

With a brief flash of light, the woman vanished. All that was left behind was vines that had tried to trap her and the mess from the battle with the statues. Between the puddles of water, the growing plants, and the crumbled statues, it was going to take a while before anyone would return to the museum.

"Between this and being turned into chocolate pudding, I'm not a big fan of magic," Liquidator said slowly.

"You and me both," he muttered before shaking his head. "I hope Quackerjack is having an easier time finding Megavolt."

* * *

><p>"You know, I'm really not a fan of this idea," commented Megavolt slowly, craning his neck to see if there was any possible way he could blast his way out of there. Between the nonconductive glass of his prison and the almost-certainly-designed-to-sap-his-powers cuffs, it didn't look promising. "How about we revisit the idea of using a lightning bolt?"<p>

"Too unpredictable for my tastes, though it might make a good backup strategy if necessary," he remarked cheerfully before turning to his small robot. "Helper, write that idea down for later."

The tiny figure nodded its light bulb head before scribbling something down on a notepad. Gyro took this opportunity to put away his blueprints while Megavolt pulled against his bindings.

"Just think about it. You're about to contribute to a major breakthrough in science," the inventor declared in a far too enthusiastic manner. "Can you imagine how impressed the world will be by someone splitting atoms up into separate parts without all that messiness of explosions and such? The entire process is just so controlled and logical. Even the limits on practicality due to the power requirements aren't so terrible."

"Great, I get to spend the rest of my life being used as your recyclable battery," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "That's a dream come true."

Walking back over to his machine and making adjustments to it, Gyro casually mentioned, "Well, probably not a _recyclable_ battery, unfortunately."

* * *

><p>It was a blue van.<p>

The realization that he'd found the vehicle took a second to set in. Quackerjack blinked in surprise at it. Then he scurried over and peered through the windows just in case his friend was somehow still tossed in the back. When it became clear the van was empty, he turned his attention to the warehouse next to it.

The doors looked rather sturdy and, if experience told him anything, most criminals smart enough to get the drop on someone was usually smart enough to also remember to lock the doors. But a quick look also demonstrated that there were some small windows near the roof of the place, which would be perfect for slipping inside. It would let him sneak in and see if Megavolt was actually there _without_ letting any bad guys know he was looking around.

And so the brightly-costumed hero began his attempt at stealth.

* * *

><p>"The power requirements are rather large, as we've already discussed," continued Gyro with the casualness that someone might have when talking about the weather. "And while you have the advantage of not resulting in a connections overloading and citywide blackouts, I only have a basic knowledge of your electrical capabilities and capacities. You would think that someone would have done a better job at collecting data on the super-powered people in this city, but some scientists have these silly issues with kidnapping and experimenting on people against their will. Honestly, if I let little problems like that interfere with my projects, nothing would ever get done. But people keep tossing words around like 'inhumane,' 'monstrous,' 'dangerous to the people,' 'insane,' and 'abomination against world' as if they were excuses. This isn't about right or wrong. This is for science and everyone knows that science is above those petty concepts."<p>

As the inventor chuckled pleasantly to himself, Megavolt stared at the cheerfully-scary avian. That man was a total and utter psychopath. He was an obvious genius at inventing, but also oblivious or uncaring about how _wrong_ what he was saying was. And he was completely at Gyro Gearloose's mercy.

And he apparently didn't possess to the humanity to even _have_ mercy.

"But I'm getting off topic," he continued. "I _do_ have at least a little knowledge about your powers, so I highly suspect you'll be able to properly charge my invention. What I'm uncertain of is the effect it'll have on you. There is a small chance that it will simply leave you in an exhausted state that I could later rectify by recharging you in a more gradual method than what is necessary for my Atomic Death Ray. That would be an ideal scenario since I could use you multiple times. Unfortunately, the more likely result is far more limiting in regards to the usefulness of my invention." Gyro frowned a moment, "It would be a shame for the device to only work once, but perhaps I could implement the lightning bolt idea at a later time if it became necessary."

The electric rodent felt a chill running up his spine. He could already predict what was coming. And he couldn't believe that a stupid trip for fast food was going to end like this. Couldn't it have at least been a battle against Negaduck for the safety of the entire city?

"In order to charge my invention, it is going to drain you of power until it is either fully charged or you're completely out of electricity. And it is quite possible that it won't stop at that normal 'oops, I fell in a puddle' out-of-power state that you've encountered in the past. That's just the loss of the electricity that's connected to your powers. My method is more thorough and yanks out all electricity from a source," Gyro explained in a cheerful and casual fashion. "I'm not a biologist and I doubt you are either, but I know enough that even a normal person's body as electricity in it. The electrical impulses in your brain and the biochemical electricity in charge of making your heart beat, for example. So there is a rather strong possibility that you won't survive the process, but that's a small price to pay to get my device operational."

Part of him wanted to fight against the situation, to set his power loose against his bindings and the glass orb around him. He wanted to struggle and keep trying, to never give up regardless of the odds. The rest of him, however, knew it was useless. It was frustrating, unfair, and depressing, but it was the truth. There was absolutely nothing he could do to escape on his own. And unless one of his teammates managed to find him by some miracle in the next two minutes, there was no one who could save him in time. There was no way around it.

He was about to die.

It didn't make him happy to know that, but maybe he could think of it as a relief? He wouldn't have to worry about Negaduck learning his identity and going after his family, after all. The psycho wouldn't bother since Megavolt would be beyond his ability to cause suffering. Granted, his friends wouldn't be happy when they found out. Not only would they be facing Negaduck in the future with even less help than before, but also every single one of them would blame themselves for this happening somehow. He could already imagine the looks on their faces. Bushroot… Liquidator… Quackerjack…

Nope, he couldn't put a positive spin on things. He was about to die and that was horrible. End of story.

Unable to summon up the energy to be original in the face on nearly-certain doom, Megavolt said, "You know you won't get away with this, Gyro."

Gyro merely shrugged as he moved towards a rather large and ominous-looking switch. Megavolt shut his eyes, not wanting to watch what was about to happen. It seemed too morbid to observe his coming demise.

"I suppose it's time to get started," Gyro said in that cheerful, creepily-casual voice.

"Nope, it's plaaaaytime!"

* * *

><p>In the middle of his attempts to break into the warehouse through the windows near the ceiling, Quackerjack had heard enough to understand three important facts. One, the red-haired person was named Gyro. Two, he'd made some sort of machine that needed lots of electricity. And three, he was going to take it from Megavolt and possibly kill him in the process.<p>

That was all the information the clown needed to know exactly how badly he needed to stop him.

Announcing his presence in his usual manner, the aerobatic individual leapt down from the rafters of the warehouse with a set of windup teeth in each hand. Quackerjack threw the chattering toys quickly, but the skinny mad scientist was quicker than he looked and dodged them. Even more impressive was the fact that a crazy clown diving from the ceiling barely caused him to blink in surprise before Gyro turned towards one corner of the building.

"Robots, attack!" he shouted.

The words were barely out of his mouth before three shapes leapt out of a trio of wooden crates. Judging by the sharp talons on their feet, Quackerjack could guess they were the robots the children talked about. What they didn't mention, as he quickly discovered as he was forced to duck underneath the swipe of one of their pinchers, was how _fast_ the robots were.

"Nice toys," he remarked, performing a couple of back flips to increase the distance from the robots while simultaneous pulling out a few toy soldiers. "I think mine are more fun, though."

Quackerjack turned the handful of toys loose on the ground. He didn't expect them to stand a chance against the larger robots. He was hoping, however, they could delay Gyro from pulling the giant switch long enough for the clown to handle metallic figures.

They were fast, forcing him to cartwheel and flip his way around the slashing pinchers. Marbles were thrown towards the large light-bulb-headed robots, but were often dodged before they could explode. He could catch glimpses of his toy soldiers pulling Gyro to the ground, though they were encountering trouble from another little robot wielding a pencil like a club.

Slipping past another beheading attempt by the large robot, Quackerjack comments, "You know, Megsy, dinner is kind of late this evening, isn't it?"

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked," he answered, his tone a nice mixture of sarcasm and faint relief.

"No worries," the clown grinned, managing to trip one of the robots with a slinky that wrapped itself around its leg. "We'll just pick up something after we're done."

The edge of his hat tore as one of the clawed pincher came a little too close, but Quackerjack remained unharmed as he retaliated with a few sharp jacks tossed in the robot's direction. They were fast and agile, but so was he.

* * *

><p>He didn't know how in the world his friend managed to find him, but Megavolt was certainly thankful that he did. And while the killer robots were an unpleasant surprise, Quackerjack was managing to remain unharmed as he dodged around their strikes.<p>

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be having much effect on them either. The explosive marbles that he was using weren't leaving a scratch on their metal bodies. And since it wasn't like Megavolt could physically help his teammate at the moment, he focused on studying the three figures for any possible weakness. If he could figure out how to stop the things, he could tell Quackerjack and they'd be out of there sooner.

Speed and agility wasn't an issue for them. A blast of electricity probably would have fried the things, but that wasn't an option as long as he was stuck in the glass orb. The sharp talons on their feet and the pinchers for hands were dangerous, the deep gashes in the concrete floor providing plenty of evidence of that fact. The only thing that might work…

"Attack the light bulb heads," Megavolt said.

"Easier said than done," shouted the clown as another of the trio of robots tried to take his head off.

It was so frustrating to be forced to just watch his friend fight. He wanted to be in the middle of things, blasting the stupid robots to smithereens. It would certainly be therapeutic after his afternoon of playing damsel in distress to an evil inventor. Instead, he could only struggle against his cuffs futilely as Quackerjack tried to hit his target.

Then Megavolt spotted a broad grin forming on his friend's face. He knew that look. That was the look that came right before a crazy idea or aerobatic stunt that would leave normal people crashing to the ground in pain. His suspicions were confirmed as the clown charged directly towards the closest robot and leapt.

While the electric rodent cringed in concern for his teammate, another of the robot's struck out at Quakerjack as he passed. Instead of striking the clown however, the sharp pincher hit the light bulb head of one of its companions and shattered the glass as the clown flipped over them. The damaged robot dropped to the ground with a heavy clang.

"One down, two to go," he cheered as he landed gracefully.

"Great, could you hurry it up?" said Megavolt. "This isn't exactly fun, you know."

"I'll do my best," he answered, pulling out a slingshot.

With a specific target to aim for now, the clown began firing his marbles rapidly at the next robot. And while it could manage to dodge most of them, Quackerjack was a surprisingly accurate shot when it came to using a slingshot. It took multiple direct hits, but the giant light-bulb-head, chipped, cracked, and then completely broke.

Megavolt felt a moment a success on his friend's account before he noticed something.

"Behind you!"

The warning was a little too late and the third managed to land a hit on Quackerjack, knocking him back several feet. And then it got worst.

"This ends now," Gyro stated, drawing attention to the fact that he'd escaped the grasp of the toy soldiers and now had his hand back on the switch.

There was only time for a brief flash of fear before it was too late. Pain, pain, _pain_, _pain, __**pain**_. It engulfed him, similar and yet different to a normal short-circuit. He would have been screaming his lungs out, but the moment that he would have done so was also the moment he lost the strength to do it. Though he thought he heard _someone_ screaming…

It was like everything inside him was being pulled out through wrists and ankles, the agony radiating and burning. And all that was left behind was painful exhaustion that quickly gave way to something worse. As his limbs burned with the energy being stolen, it left a growing coldness at his core.

The biting coldness spread throughout his body so quickly. Everything felt so cold. So dark. So silent. So still.

So _utterly_ still…

* * *

><p>The instant he saw Gyro flip the switch, Quackerjack forgot all about the bruise that was undoubtedly forming from where the robot hit him and screamed out his friend's name. All of Megavolt's limbs stiffened, his jaw clenched, his head jerked back, and a hum filled the air. Somehow the silence from his teammate was even worse. There was only one thought in the clown's mind.<p>

Turn it off _now_.

Dodging the remaining robot was no longer an option. He leapt straight at it, missing the grip of the pinchers only by a miracle. The weight of a determined clown landing on its head was enough to overbalance the thing and send it crashing to the ground. The sound of the glass bulb shattering on impact barely registered as Quackerjack moved towards the switch with the clearly marked "Off" option.

_Faster_, said Headboss in a very worried tone.

The red-haired inventor that was in his way, the one _responsible_ for what was happening, was hit the fast moving hero and also knocked to the ground. Quackerjack didn't notice or care if the impact of his head against the concrete knocked the man out or not. Every instinct he possessed was screaming at him that he was running out of time. All that mattered was getting that switch turned off before it was too late. He couldn't even spare a moment to consider what "too late" would mean.

As soon as he flipped the switch from On to Off, he saw Megavolt slump in his bindings as abruptly as a puppet would if its strings were cut. The feeling of urgency still remained, so Quackerjack headed over to the glass orb.

While his ammunition was limited and that was why he preferred to save it for emergencies, the clown pulled out his unique version of a water gun and fired acid at the smooth surface. It seemed faster than trying to smash it by hand. As soon as it ate away at a hole large enough, Quackerjack climbed inside and attacked the cuffs around his friend's wrists and ankles.

"Don't worry, Megsy," he muttered, trying to remain calm.

The instant his teammate was free of the bindings, Quackerjack was forced to catch him as Megavolt crumpled limply. His friend draped against him like a rag doll. Panic and dread fluttered around the clown's mind as he half-dragged and half-carried his friend out. There was something wrong, something missing. He tried to ignore it as he carefully laid his friend down, hoping that everything would be all right.

_He didn't have a heartbeat, _he said with a hint of horror.

"Come up, Megavolt," coaxed Quackerjack, trying desperately to ignore what both he and Headboss had noticed when he caught his friend.

_He's not breathing._

"Please wake up, Megsy," he urged, stubbornly trying to block out Headboss's words.

_He can't wake up._

No.

No, not again. It couldn't happen again. Horror, guilt, anger, desperation, and denial all swirled together in his head, trying to drown and overwhelm Quackerjack. Staring at that far-too-still figure, he couldn't think.

Elmo.

Bobby.

Bobby. Elmo.

Images of the two blurred and swirled together in his mind, twisting and changing into each other as guilt and loss pounded against him. They were dead because of him. It was his fault.

Bobby tried to protect him from Negaduck. He should protected himself instead, should have avoided the gun on his own somehow. Negaduck pulled the trigger, but it was still his fault

And Elmo, Megavolt, Megsy. He should have been faster, should have stopped Gyro before he could flip the switch. He should have gotten his friend out before it was too late. It was his fault.

Something was trying to break through his racing, horrified, confused thoughts. It was like they were calling from far away. Quackerjack wanted to ignore it, but there was a desperate urgency to it. Someone needed to be heard.

_Joy buzzer._

_Headboss?_

The strangeness of his words made Quackerjack's swirling thoughts pause and settle briefly. A memory flickered through his head. It was just a prank, something amusing he'd wanted to try. Only he learned quickly that zapping someone with a handshake that could zap back even harder didn't exactly work. So he decided to leave the electrical shocks to the expert.

But he still had the improved joy buzzer.

The tiniest, most fragile tendril of hope crept in as he fumbled for the thing. Normal joy buzzers didn't actually use electricity and instead just vibrated to startle people, but using a small electrical charge had seemed more amusing at the time. And even if the thing wasn't very powerful, it was something.

If the problem was that Gyro stole all of Megavolt's electricity, then Quackerjack would give some back.

Slipping the joy buzzer onto his hand and desperately hoping for the best while terrified it wouldn't work, he pressed the object against his friend's still chest. He designed it for just a quick burst of electricity, but today he kept it continuously active as he poured the limited power into the lifeless figure. His teammate's body seemed to absorb it like a sponge, not even the slightest spark escaping to shock the desperate clown.

He didn't know if it would be enough or if it was already too late, but he ignored the doubts and guilt that still swirled through his head and just watched as he pumped electricity directly into his friend.

"Don't go," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. Please don't…"

As the last spark of power in his joy buzzer flowed away and left it useless, Quackerjack felt something under his fingertips. A heartbeat. And then another.

He laughed slightly as he heard Megavolt take a shallow breath. The swirling mess of fear, doubt, and guilt still remained, whispering about how close he came to causing someone else to die, but the warm glow of relief helped fight back against it.

_Nice work, Quackerjack. Very well done._

"Thanks," he sighed, closing his eyes a moment before immediately opening them again when all he could see was the lifeless figures of Bobby and Elmo. That could certainly be distracting if he kept imagining it every time he closed his eyes. "Time for a distraction. Let's see if Gyro's still here."

* * *

><p>So tired. Everything ached. Megavolt felt too exhausted to wake up, but he knew he needed to. He remembered that there was a crazy inventor named Gyro running around a warehouse and Quackerjack had been there. Considering that whatever happened to make him feel so bad didn't apparently destroy his memories this time, he decided it could have been worse. But what he did remember implied that there was a good chance that he would need to fight someone and he unfortunately felt too rundown to even move.<p>

Of course, he could be stubborn. Megavolt managed to move his hand slightly, resulting in someone placing a small object in it. Even in his exhausted state he could recognize a battery when he felt one. There wasn't usually a huge amount of power in the things, but he didn't care. He drained it of power with the same desperation that a drowning man would gasp for air. Another battery quickly replaced the first. By the third battery placed in his hand, he felt sufficiently recovered to open his eyes.

Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, he discovered that the one handing him batteries obviously cannibalized from his toys was Quackerjack. When his teammate noticed he was properly awake, he wordlessly handed him a cable that stretched towards a large machine that Megavolt remembered Gyro talking about and showing him blueprints. Right, the psycho inventor was going to use him to charge the thing. And, judging by how little electricity seemed to be coursing through his body at the moment, Megavolt suspected he'd succeeded.

Using the cable, he slowly started reclaiming his lost power. It helped enough that he could sit up. He couldn't even describe how much better it made him feel. His body still ached, but the exhaustion was fading. As he began to feel less and less like a zombie, he studied Quackerjack.

The clown was too quiet. He should have said something by now. And there was a haunted look on his face, one that really shouldn't be on his friend. The last time he'd seen a similar look was the night they thought Bushroot had died, when he'd seen his father's name under Megavolt's list of Negaduck's victims. That kind of somberness never looked right on his face. And once he'd handed over the cable to the electric rodent, Quackerjack had practically closed up completely. His legs were curled up and he gazed towards the ground, not apparently seeing anything except for maybe images in his own head.

Megavolt reached out with his free hand and carefully touched his shoulder. He was shivering. Not a lot, but just enough that he could feel it. And he knew it wasn't due to the cold.

"Quackerjack?" he began slowly. The clown didn't even react. He kept staring blankly as if he couldn't even hear his friend's voice. "Quackerjack?" When he still couldn't get a response, Megavolt shook his shoulder slight and said, "Billy?"

This time, he flinched and blinked. Then Quackerjack looked at the face of his increasingly-concerned friend.

"You were gone," he said, his voice barely audible. "I should have been faster. I'm sorry."

He almost asked what the clown meant. Then he recalled Gyro's words about not being a _recyclable_ battery and it wasn't hard to draw a conclusion. He'd risked his life in the past, but it was a little unnerving to consider how close he must have come this time. It must have been pretty bad if it reduced Quackerjack to this state.

"Apparently you were fast enough, otherwise I wouldn't be here," Megavolt said carefully. "So thanks."

"You were gone," he repeated with that haunted look still on his face that made the electric rodent worry about what this experience might have done to Quackerjack's tedious grasp of sanity. "You were gone and I barely dragged you back. I should have been faster. I should have saved you sooner. It's my fault."

Dropping the cable, Megavolt grabbed both his shoulders, "Look, you're not the one who decided to strap me into an oversized light bulb for science. That was the other crazy guy, the one who decided building an Atomic Death Ray was the best way to steal something. Being a hero means lots of dangerous people spend their time trying to kill us and that means we sometimes get hurt. And even though we take care of each other and protect each other, we can't prevent everything. You didn't do anything wrong. This wasn't your fault. You saved me, right?"

Quackerjack nodded. It wasn't a very certain nod, but it was better than nothing. Even better, he seemed to be focused his friend rather than whatever he'd been staring blankly at before.

"And if someone decides they need to use you for some kind of wackiness-powered death ray, we'd go charging in to save you too. That's part of being a team. Remember our team, the one you pretty much dragged me into joining against my will?" he said, producing a tiny grin from the clown. "And even if our rescue attempt wasn't perfect, as long as everyone made it home at the end of the day, it would be considered a success." Releasing his grip on Quackerjack's shoulders, he said, "I'm fine now. Tired, still a little low of power, but fine. We're going to call this a success, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he replied, "Okay."

"Good."

There was a moment of silence that Megavolt used to consider the fact that he'd apparently almost _died_ earlier. Hopefully he could downplay that particular part of the day's events whenever they made it back to the greenhouse or else he'd never hear the end of it. Bushroot and Liquidator would definitely not react well to that news. Of course, neither did Quackerjack, but that was beyond his ability to prevent.

"At least Gyro isn't going anywhere," the clown muttered abruptly.

Megavolt's head snapped up, "What?"

He pointed, "Look."

Next to the machine, tightly bound in a jump rope and gagged by having his mouth stuffed with what appeared to be his blueprints, was Gyro Gearloose. His glasses were broke and he looked like he'd been hit several times, but he was still obviously breathing. It would seem that someone would have to contact the police later and inform them where they could find a mad scientist inventor with a soon-to-be-disabled death ray. Hopefully Taurus locked him up a little more securely than he did some of the villains.

"Promise you won't die again," said Quackerjack abruptly. When his teammate looked at him, he continued, "I mean, I know you can't _really_ promise that, but… Bushroot can re-grow and Likky is made of water. You…"

"I promise I'll try to stay alive," he responded. "But you have to promise to do the same thing. Got it?"

It took a moment, but Quackerjack did nod firmly.

* * *

><p>No one in the neighborhood knew where the trio of children got them. Of course, only a few people even noticed in the first place. Those that did notice probably assumed that they simply found them.<p>

Of course, if anyone had cared to investigate a little, they might have realized that the well-crafted and beautifully made action figures of the Friendly Four weren't available in any of the toy stores. Not a single toy company made them. And if anyone happened to poke around further, they might have noticed that the toys appeared in the children's possession a week after the chaos at the museum.

But of course, no one really wanted to get involved in that neighborhood. So Barry, Stu, and Havanna played unhindered.

* * *

><p>AN: Here's a list of references for this chapter. Gyro Gearloose invented the Gizmo suit in "DuckTales." In the Negaverse, I imagine him as a kind of friendly-seeming person who does everything for science and to prove how brilliant he is. Even stealing money is to just a bonus. He doesn't really care about it, just like he doesn't care about ethics or people's lives. As long as his invention works and it shows amazing his intellect is, he couldn't really care. Unfortunately for him, common sense doesn't always factor into his plans, but that's why he has Little Helper to point out things he forgets to take into account. That's why he's good at long term planning: more time for his companion to find the problems in his ideas.

The frosting-fueled flamethrower was used by Negaduck in the episode "A Valentine Ghoul. I guess he didn't get around to using it in Darkwing's universe until then. Cara Foxworthy is intended to be the grand-daughter of Myra from the "TaleSpin" episode called "In Search of Ancient Blunders" and involves an upside-down pyramid and a mummy. In the main universe, Myra was the Minister of Culture of Aridia and later a museum curator. Since "TaleSpin" is set in the 1930s, it would make sense timeline wise to be dealing with her grand-daughter rather than Myra herself.


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